How does selfishness affect us in our daily life?

Answer from the V.M. Samael Aun Weor.

In order to succeed in life one has to become a fisher of men. Jesus chose his disciples from among poor fishermen. They had to stop catching fish to become fishers of men. Do you want to obtain success, power, glory? Listen to this advice, “Put the bait on the hook that will catch the fish.”

Do not talk with others about things of interest to you. Your business is your business. The human being is egotistical, unfortunately, and wants to only know things that are of interest to him. If you talk to your fellowman about the things that he desires and loves, you will influence him positively and will obtain from him all that you need. It is necessary to learn to see the point of view of our fellowman and help to Solve his conflicts; in this manner we also solve our own Problems. Become an altruistic and generous person, help Others with your advice, do your best to understand others’ Points of view and you will catch fish in abundance. When we begin comprehending our fellowmen, we also begin to take the first steps on the path of happiness and success.

Samael Aun Weor. Introduction to Gnosis.

Answer from the Magazine "The Wisdom of the Being".

Although it seems incredible, the selfish “I” is one of the causes of failure in business, in family relationships, in couple’s relationships. For example, in sales, if someone wants to sell their product and to do so they talk about themselves and how they will benefit from that sale, they talk about their need to sell, their sacrifice to sell, they feel sorry for not having sold or he prides himself on being a great salesperson…, in this case the selfish self is talking about what he wants and desires, he is focusing on himself and not on others.

Through self-observation it is possible to discover that the selfish self becomes tedious in front of others (perhaps that is why salespeople tend to be unappreciated) and people prefer to avoid them, but if the selfish self is discovered and understand and even more, if the Divine Mother is asked to disintegrate it, (because it is the only one that can do it, the mind does not have that faculty), then it will begin to be interested in other people and their concerns, desires, needs.

The same is true at home, if parents do not observe the selfish self, then they are more interested in themselves than in their children or other relatives. The selfish self cannot see the needs and concerns of the children because it is not empathetic, the selfish self does not know how to put itself in the shoes of others, (it deceives itself by saying that it does), and the obvious evidence is that the children or family members feel alone, prefer digital distractions and conceive greater empathy from strangers.

You need to learn to see the point of view of others and help you resolve your conflicts. It is essential to make an effort to understand the point of view of others without objecting, as when someone sees a sunrise, without comparing, without judging, without justifying, without taking their side or against them, simply perceiving. This practice of self-observation will allow two things, first, to know oneself (discovering the egoistic self in action) and second, to understand others.

The Wisdom of Being Magazine 90, Chapter: "The Psychological Self".