Finding happiness by being unselfish

How often do you experience selfishness? I wish I could ask this question to myself and answer that I feel selfishness none of the time.  I don’t remember an instance where I had been selfish, but I’m sure I have been selfish, for I’m human. I was talking to my friend Karma the other day about selfishness and how that affects decision making. I told him that everyone is selfish and no matter what someone decides to do, they come to that decision only after they have assessed how that decision is going to help him/her. I said that from my narrow understanding of how I have seen people.

People can agree with me or not, but what matters is, I guess, that, feeling of selfishness isn’t really good to our mental wellbeing. If you are often feeling selfish, you ought to have a sense of guilt later, for you knew that you were not doing what you ought to, based on objective reasons. Even when we try to deny, we inwardly know what is actually right or wrong. And if we deny that inner voice and still go ahead with the decision to do what you want to, you are definite to have guilt later. I think we decide to deny that inner voice only when we have a selfish reason; a gain only for yourself.

I am not an expert on mental wellbeing but from my experience I know that if we think of the well-being of others along with ours, forgetting the enormous ‘me’ thought, we have a rewarding peace and good feeling. We probably will not see the instant material gain but the peace we have, the inner good feeling that we get is what will make you happier for that day.

Frequency of feeling selfishness is one of the indicators of Psychological wellbeing domain in GNH.