Selfishness is a good thing

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Fountainhead







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A caterpillar who seeks to know himself would never become a butterfly

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There is a phrase you are as likely to find in a serious philosophy text as you are in the wackiest self-help book: ‘Know thyself!’ The phrase has serious philosophical pedigree: by Socrates’ time, it was more or less received wisdom (apparently chiselled into the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi) though a form of the phrase reaches back to Ancient Egypt. And ever since, the majority of philosophers have had something to say about it.  But ‘Know thyself!’ also has self-help appeal. Is your aim to accept yourself? Well, you need to know thyself for that first. Or is it to make good decisions – decisions that are right  for you ? Again, this would be difficult unless you knew thyself. The problem is that none of this is based on a realistic picture of the self and of how we make decisions. This whole ‘knowing thyself’ business is not as simple as it seems. In fact, it might be a serious philosophical muddle – not to say bad advice. Let’s take an everyday example...
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जो शिलालेख बनता उसको अख़बार बना कर क्या पाया

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प्रतिमाओं में पूजा उलझी विधियों में उलझा भक्ति योग सच्चे मन से षड्यंत्र रचे झूठे मन से सच के प्रयोग जो प्रश्नों से ढह जाए वो किरदार बना कर क्या पाया? जो शिलालेख बनता उसको अख़बार बना कर क्या पाया तुम निकले थे लेने स्वराज सूरज की सुर्ख़ गवाही में पर आज स्वयं टिमाटिमा रहे जुगनू की नौकरशाही में सब साथ लड़े,सब उत्सुक थे तुमको आसन तक लाने में कुछ सफल हुए निर्वीय तुम्हें यह राजनीति समझाने में ! इन आत्मप्रवंचित बौनों का दरबार बना कर क्या पाया? जो शिलालेख बनता उसको अख़बार बना कर क्या पाया हम शब्द-वंश के हरकारे सच कहना अपनी परम्परा हम उस कबीर की पीढ़ी जो बाबर-अकबर से नहीं डरा पूजा का दीप नहीं डरता इन षड्यंत्री आभाओं से वाणी का मोल नहीं चुकता अनुदानित राज्य सभाओं से. जिसके विरुद्ध था युद्ध उसे हथियार बना कर क्या पाया? जो शिलालेख बनता उसको अख़बार बना कर क्या पाया?
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We are our choices

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How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make? Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passion? Will you follow dogma, or will you be original? Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure? Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions? Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize? Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love? Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling? When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless? Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder? Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?
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