Selfishness is a complex human trait often criticized yet universally felt at some point in life. Through history, many thinkers and writers have encapsulated the essence of selfishness and its impacts in poignant quotes. This article guides you through a curated compilation of quotes divided into ten insightful sections, highlighting the intriguing facets of selfish behavior. From famous philosophers to modern influencers, these quotes provide a mirror to our own behaviors, encouraging reflection and understanding of human nature. Join us in exploring how selfish persons are depicted in literature, psychology, and pop culture—offering wisdom that seeks not just to criticize but also to shed light on our inherent self-centered tendencies by examining their causes and consequences.
Quotes on Selfishness and Its Impact
"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." – Oscar Wilde
"A selfish man is a thief." – Unknown
"Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure." – Jane Austen
"The only good thing about being imperfect is the joy it brings to those who notice." – Unknown
"You do not love yourself, you dress yourself, you feed yourself; yet you are selfish to the bone." – Unknown
"Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself." – Kahlil Gibran
"Selfishness is a promise broken." – Unknown
"Selfishness is one of the qualities apt to inspire love." – Nathaniel Hawthorne
"Glory built on selfish principles is shame and guilt." – William Cowper
"A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." – Benjamin Franklin
"Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race." – William E. Gladstone
"Selfish people are in a constant state of panic; their world is forever closing in." – Byron Pulsifer
Famous Quotes About Selfish People
"Most people are far more concerned that they can be selfish, than whether they should be." – Unknown
"There is nothing born out of selfishness that can ever thrive." – Unknown
"Selfishness eats men alive!" – Unknown
"All that is born out of selfishness will one day need a funeral." – Unknown
"Selfish individuals always find reasons to excuse their actions." – Unknown
"Selfishness is a slight tilt of the surface, the rain may fall evenly, but it gathers into one side." – Unknown
"Self-centered people only concern themselves with their own woes and leave those around them to suffer alone." – Unknown
"What you feed with selfishness will only starve in the end." – Unknown
"A selfish person’s voice echoes in an empty room." – Unknown
"Great acts are made up of small deeds; but selfish acts spoil even the smallest deed." – Lao Tzu
"The selfish man is nothing more than a mischievous storm in the midst of paradise." – Unknown
"In the garden of love, selfish people sit upon their thrones and pluck every flower." – Unknown
Selfish Behaviour in Literature Quotes
"Selfishness is the poison of life." – Mary Shelley
"Who doesn't want to be king when he grows up? But, of course, not everyone gets that chance, only the selfish." – Unknown
"Selfishness may result in one's own gratification; however, it will deprive you of companionship and congruence with others." – Unknown
"Selfishness is the ear that listens only to its own echo." – Unknown
"The selfish heart poisoneth the sweet bounty of love." – Unknown
"A selfish soul will always find itself lonely, as it climbs the tower of self-interest." – Unknown
"In every class of society, gratitude is the rarest of all human qualities. It is often smothered by the plant of selfishness." – Unknown
"The more selfish you get, the lonelier you will be in the end." – Unknown
"Selfishness is the mind's worst breech of etiquette." – Unknown
"In every age and time, the spirit of selfishness has emerged from the cloisters." – Unknown
"The bitter root of selfishness bears no sweet fruit." – Unknown
"Selfishness in love is like the sting in a hive: it's what keeps the honey sweet." – Unknown
Psychological Insights on Selfishness Quotes
"The irony of selfishness is that while it believes in self-preservation, it ultimately leads to self-destruction." – Unknown
"Even the wisest can fall prey to the sweeter deception of selfishness." – Unknown
"Selfishness gravels the road to self and burricks the path to othersless." – Unknown
"A selfish heart is always lonely." – Unknown
"Selfishness cuts you off from love; it’s the sharp blade of egotism." – Unknown
"What a selfish heart conceives, the mind proceeds to deny." – Unknown
"When selfishness rules the heart, it fills nothing but itself." – Unknown
"Being selfish rarely acknowledges pain, except its own." – Unknown
"The selfish mind breeds distrust and animosity rather than connection and empathy." – Unknown
"A soul chooses selfishness when it closes itself off to challenge and growth." – Unknown
"Selfishness changes the rules like a child changes toys." – Unknown
"In the heart of selfishness, love is prohibit due to the lack of sharing." – Unknown
Quotes Depicting Selfish People in Society
"Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. Selfish people though, never plant those trees." – Unknown
"There is no truism more indestructible than the fact that without selfishness, society would cease to exist." – Unknown
"Thinking less of myself the only currency that fulfills societal transactions." – Unknown
"A society that breeds selfishness is one that feeds discord." – Unknown
"In every corner of every society, selfish people lurk out of sight yet cause great dismay." – Unknown
"Selfish people are like fenced gardens where beauty is confined and shared with none." – Unknown
"Selfishness prolongs the life of discord in society." – Unknown
"When society teaches selfishness, it creates walls rather than bridges." – Unknown
"A person selfish to society is the one who retreats into the bubble of 'I'." – Unknown
"What society endures, selfishness begins." – Unknown
"A selfish society breeds nothing but separation." – Unknown
"Selfish action within society yields a harvest of regret and solitude." – Unknown
Impact of Selfishness on Relationships Quotes
"The more we gratify our selfishness, the more we mine our relationships of love." – Unknown
"A relationship seeded with selfishness is one that falters at the merest challenge." – Unknown
"In the orchard of relationships, selfishness is the worm in the apple." – Unknown
"Selfishness in love is the frost that kills the blossom." – Unknown
"When selfishness rules, love becomes shadowed with doubt." – Unknown
"A selfish heart builds barricades in the garden of love." – Unknown
"The truest form of love thrives not with selfishness but in its absence." – Buddha
"Selfish love claims ownership rather than cherishes togetherness." – Unknown
"Selfless relationships traverse distance with shared dreams, and selfish ones trip on details." – Unknown
"In the relationship of two, selfishness draws a single path that ends at alone." – Unknown
"A selfish lover is akin to a winter's day, chilling the warmth of love with every selfish act." – Unknown
"Selfishness in relationships enforces solitude rather than partnership." – Unknown
Existential Views on Selfishness Quotes
"Selfishness keeps the individual on the surface while existential seeking dwells beneath." – Unknown
"Like all things told by human truths, selfishness lacks the depth of soul's inquiry." – Unknown
"When existentialism battles egotism, it discovers riches beyond the self." – Unknown
"The selfish soul fears the existential question of why." – Unknown
"To exist wholly is impossible when selfishness rules one's core." – Unknown
"Selfishness narrows down the meaning of existence." – Unknown
"Existential growth is challenged and quashed by the forces of selfishness." – Unknown
"To truly understand existence, one must dismantle the walls of selfishness." – Unknown
"The existential question shuns selfish hearts, seeking deeply into wider contexts." – Unknown
"One's selfish shell blocks the spacious view of existential creation." – Unknown
"Those selfish whisper fears that they may eclipse the existential truth." – Unknown
"Existential peace is unreachable by paths of selfish origins." – Unknown
Historical Perspectives on Selfishness Quotes
"A selfish man is a thief, even when he lurks in noble history." – Unknown
"The history books rarely capture the disruption wrought by a selfish few." – Unknown
"Even history records selfish kings with a tragic elegance." – Unknown
"History whispers of selfishness with a regret that resonates to this day." – Unknown
"Selfish choices pick at the seams of history.” – Unknown
"History rails against tyranny, but whispers the tale of selfishness quietly." – Unknown
"The selfish deeds of the past cast longer shadows than their humbler ones." – Unknown
"In every page of history, selfishness is but a cow's foot in the whispering sand of life." – Unknown
"History portrays selfishness cold, ruthless, but always significant." – Unknown
"Selfishness twists history with a brazen disregard for others." – Unknown
"The wheels of history turn slower when pushed by selfish hands." – Unknown
"Selfish intent is history's constant thorn." – Unknown
Quotes That Inspire Selflessness
"If love is not self-seeking but self-giving, it breeds the warmth of selflessness." – Unknown
"Embrace the genuine gesture of selflessness to see the broader fiber of humanity." – Unknown
"When selfish thought subsides, true service of life begins." – Unknown
"A life filled with selfless connections paints the horizon in bolder hues." – Unknown
"Selflessness warms the heart and lights its path." – Unknown
"By consuming less, the heart grows fuller with selfless love." – Unknown
"Let your light be free of selfish impulse and it will illuminate all around." – Unknown
"Give, without remembering and receive, without forgetting." – Unknown
"A step taken without selfish motive can forge deeper peace in the soul." – Unknown
"Seek in life not for self, but for all." – Unknown
"With selflessness, the walls crumble between us." – Unknown
"Show me a hero and I'll show you a selfless spirit." – Unknown
Quotes on Confronting Selfishness
"To confront selfishness, one must first seek the wisdom of forgiveness." – Unknown
"In the mirror of life, see not only the reflections but the truths hidden in selfish shadows." – Unknown
"Reach within to confront the selfish seeds planted within." – Unknown
"There is power in confronting selfishness and it begins with honesty." – Unknown
"The act of confronting selfishness changes darkness into transformative light." – Unknown
"Self-awareness is the first step to face selfish shadows." – Unknown
"Search not outward but deep inside to find and confront selfish motives." – Unknown
"Confronting one's own selfishness can lead to paths of healing hope." – Unknown
"When we confront the selfish walls within, we learn to build bridges." – Unknown
"Selfishness confronted is a soul's liberty gained." – Unknown
"The confrontation of selfishness is not easy, but it always leads to enlightenment." – Unknown
"Confront selfish instincts and discover more empathetic rhythms of life." – Unknown
Final words
Selfishness, as illuminated through various quotes in this article, showcases human nature’s propensity to prioritize self over others, often to detrimental effects. In these words drawn from history, literature, psychology, relationships, society, existential thoughts, and selflessness, we observe the duality of selfish action; it's apparent singular existence and broader impact. While selfishness can appear as protecting oneself, it often leads to isolation and missed opportunities for genuine connection. Moreover, the profound nature of these quotes encourages us to confront selfish habits, transforming them with insight and action. The wisdom captured across centuries encourages a healing path, enabling us to learn from our own and others' selfish ways, advocating for self-awareness and empathy. Ultimately, understanding and addressing selfishness is crucial for fostering meaningful relationships, societal bonds, and personal growth, promoting a more interconnected existence.
浙公网安备
33010002000092号
浙B2-20120091-4