quote:

ORIGINAL: Bobkgin

quote:

ORIGINAL: velvetears

quote:

ORIGINAL: FullCircle

People do apparently selfless acts no one is selfless

i agree no one can ALWAYS be selfless, ...

Velvet,

They are confusing self-denial for selfless.

Selfish focuses on the self
Selfless focuses on both self and others.
Self-denial focuses only on others.

They've set up a straw man definition for "selfless", borrowing from an extreme definition for "self-denial", and claiming no one can match the definition they've borrowed thus no one can be "selfless".

It is not impossible to focus on both self and others all the time.

It is just not a very easy accomplishment to achieve.

On edit for Charlotte:
Just read your post. I think this will help answer your concern. You might also look at my more recent posts (starting page 14 or 15, I think) where I address that issue.

Yes, I'd call you selfless. You are balancing your needs against those of others, taking both into account.

On 2nd edit: Note this is real-world selflessness we're talking about right now.

In a selfless master-slave relationship, the selfless slave is trusting in her master to provide what she needs, and a selfless master is trusting his slave to comply with his intstructions that he might get what he needs.

Having, exhibiting, or motivated by no concern for oneself; unselfish:

quote:

ORIGINAL: WinsomeDefiance

quote:



ORIGINAL: Bobkgin

They are confusing self-denial for selfless.

Selfish focuses on the self
Selfless focuses on both self and others.
Self-denial focuses only on others.

You can't use the definition of selflessness as the basis for your arguments, then toss out the definition as it suits you when your logic doesn't pan out.

Having, exhibiting, or motivated by no concern for oneself; unselfish:

By redefining your logic, you at least exhibited the ability to do so! Congrulations.  You conceded a point, probably without intentionally doing so, the very points you were arguing.  Now if only you would cop to it.

quote:

ORIGINAL: velvetears

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bobkgin

They are confusing self-denial for selfless.

Selfish focuses on the self
Selfless focuses on both self and others.
Self-denial focuses only on others.

i hope this clears up a lot of misinterpretation about the use of the term selfless and how it was intended/implied.