“Apparently, a concern for others is self-love at its least attractive, while greed is now a sign of the higher altruism.”
Source: 1990s, Screening History (1992), Ch. 1: The Prince and the Pauper, p. 24
Context: Apparently, a concern for others is self-love at its least attractive, while greed is now a sign of the higher altruism. But then to reverse, periodically, the meanings of words is a very small price to pay for the freedom not only to conform but to consume.
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Gore Vidal 163
American writer 1925–2012Related quotes
“Altruism is masked self-interest. Aggressive self-interest is a masked urge to self-destruction.”
Source: The Forge of God (1987), Chapter 52 (p. 352)
“Charity is really self-interest masquerading under the form of altruism.”
"The masquerade of charity," p. 19
Awareness (1992)
“Altruism is a barbarism. Love is the word.”
Source: Aphorisms and Reflections (1901), p. 170
Summations, Chapter 52
Context: The other manner of Regard was shewed inward: and that was more highly and all one. For the life and the virtue that we have in the lower part is of the higher, and it cometh down to us of the Natural love of the Self, by grace. Atwix the one and the other there is right nought: for it is all one love. Which one blessed love hath now, in us, double working: for in the lower part are pains and passions, mercies and forgiveness, and such other that are profitable; but in the higher part are none of these, but all one high love and marvellous joy: in which joy all pains are highly restored. And in this our Lord showed not only our Excusing, but the worshipful nobility that He shall bring us to, turning all our blame into endless worship.
The Toynbee-Ikeda Dialogue: Man Himself Must Choose (1976).
1950s, Conquering Self-centeredness (1957)
Context: Life has its beginning and its maturity comes into being when an individual rises above self to something greater. Few individuals learn this, and so they go through life merely existing and never living. Now you see signs all along in your everyday life with individuals who are the victims of self-centeredness. They are the people who live an eternal “I.” They do not have the capacity to project the “I” into the “Thou." They do not have the mental equipment for an eternal, dangerous and sometimes costly altruism. They live a life of perpetual egotism. And they are the victims all around of the egocentric predicament. They start out, the minute you talk with them, talking about what they can do, what they have done. They’re the people who will tell you, before you talk with them five minutes, where they have been and who they know. They’re the people who can tell you in a few seconds, how many degrees they have and where they went to school and how much money they have. We meet these people every day. And so this is not a foreign subject. It is not something far off. It is a problem that meets us in everyday life. We meet it in ourselves, we meet in other selves: the problem of selfcenteredness.
“No greed was comparable to the appeal of self-sacrifice.”
Source: Masters of the Maze (1965), Chapter 10 (p. 143)
“Poverty is the self's greed and increased despair.”
Majlisi, Bihārul Anwār, vol.78, p. 368.
General
The End of State http://www.gov.am/files/docs/217.pdf
2008