心科普
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减少自我利益以建立有意义的联系
通过以下三个问题来探究你的自我利益
本文要点：
· 自我利益与照顾自己不同。
· 依赖自我利益会影响决策能力并损害整体福祉。
· 培养对所有人的关心有助于社区健康。
自我利益对心理健康的影响显著，因为它塑造了我们的动机和行为。当个体优先考虑自己的需求和欲望时，这可能会对他们的心理健康带来积极和消极的结果。虽然适度的自我关注可以促进个人成长，但过度关注自身可能导致孤立、焦虑或压力。理解这种平衡对于维持心理健康和发展与他人的有意义的联系至关重要。
自我利益表现为对个人利益的过度关注，削弱了人类固有的同理心、关心他人和责任感。过度追求个人偏好以及不愿支持集体福祉，源于竞争态度和对他人需求的忽视。这种竞争倾向很大程度上受到社会影响。相反，人类天生就有在群体环境中繁荣发展的倾向，并寻求有意义的关系。虽然研究表明儿童在很小的时候就能隐藏自私倾向，但他们早在生命初期就学会了合作往往比追求自私利益带来更大的回报。
在心理学领域，自我利益可以通过利己主义（即我们的最终目标是自身的福祉）和利他主义（表明我们有利他的动机）来解释。在某种意义上，自我利益可以被视为自私，但也可以考虑其伦理维度。虽然自我利益指的是对自身需求或欲望的关注，许多心理学家认为，自我利益的行为往往是在无意识的情况下进行的。
2022年的一项研究表明，拥抱更多自由价值观的人往往表现出较低程度的自我利益。利他主义原则，包括同理心、对他人的关心和对他们需求的关注，对于促进社会福利举措至关重要。一种对自我利益与集体利益对立的观点认为，当个体主要关注自己的需求时，他们可能会忽视那些有助于做出有意义决策和实现共同目标的合作机会。这种自私行为不仅阻碍了集体努力，也削弱了社区参与。
最近，一位前总统发表的言论削弱了对退伍军人承诺和牺牲的尊重，这既令人不安，也反映了一种以自我利益为中心的领导方式。在这个充满冲突的世界里，那些冒着生命危险来保护他人权利的人表现出了非凡的利他主义。尤其是那些致力于自由和全球福祉的人，包括志愿者和专业人士，如教育工作者、急救人员、医疗提供者和照料者，他们将他人的福祉置于自己的利益之上。
自恋和同质性经常成为推动自私行为的基本因素。这些行为在个体过度关注自身利益或优先支持那些在外貌上与自己相似的人时表现得尤为明显。一个相关的例子是，一位白人男性CEO倾向于提拔年轻的白人男性，因为这些人让他想起了自己的过去，这表明他试图通过这些年轻人复制自己的成就。在某些情况下，这种行为可能源于对他人的同理心不足。
培养对所有人的关心
仅关注个人利益而忽视他人的福祉，会削弱我们对社区和联系的自然倾向。
要评估自我利益如何塑造你的思维方式、行为和选择，请反思以下问题：
· 专注于你自己或你所属的社会群体能带来什么好处？
· 当你得偿所愿时，你会有什么样的情绪，这种满足对你生活中的人有什么影响？
· 从自私的角度来看，可能会产生哪些潜在的不利影响？
培养一种优先考虑同理心和关心他人的心态，同时减少以自我为中心的思维方式，可以减轻压力，增强心理健康，并建立持久的人际关系。
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KEY POINTS
· Self-interest is not the same as taking care of yourself.
· Relying on self-interest can impair decision-making and detract from overall well-being.
· Cultivating concern for all others contributes to community wellness.
The influence of self-interest on mental health is significant, as it shapes our motivations and behaviors. When individuals prioritize their own needs and desires, it can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for their psychological well-being. While a healthy degree of self-focus can foster personal growth, excessive interest in oneself may result in isolation, anxiety, or stress. Understanding this balance is crucial for maintaining mental health and developing meaningful connections with others.
Self-interest, characterized by an undue focus on personal gain, undermines the inherent human capacity for empathy, concern for others, and a sense of responsibility. The heightened pursuit of individual preferences, along with a reluctance to support collective well-being, arises from competitive attitudes and a disregard for the needs of others. Such competitive tendencies are largely shaped by social influences. Conversely, humans are inherently predisposed to flourish in communal settings and seek meaningful relationships. While studies indicate that children are capable of hiding selfish tendencies, early in life individuals learn that collaboration often leads to greater rewards than pursuing self-serving interests.
Within the field of psychology, self-interest has been explained by egoism (i.e., our own welfare is our ultimate aim) as well as by altruism (suggesting we have altruistic motives). In a sense, self-interest can be seen as selfishness, but one can also consider the ethical dimensions. Although self-interest refers to a focus on one’s own needs or desires, many psychologists believe self-interested actions are often performed without conscious knowledge.
A 2022 study reveals that individuals who embrace more liberal values can often demonstrate a lower degree of self-interest. Altruistic principles, which include empathy, concern for others, and attentiveness to their needs, are essential for fostering social welfare initiatives. An opposing perspective on the dichotomy of self-interest and collective interest posits that when individuals focus primarily on their own needs, they may overlook collaborative opportunities that facilitate meaningful decision-making and shared goals. This inclination toward self-serving behavior not only obstructs collective efforts but also diminishes community engagement.
The recent comments made by a former president, which undermined the commitment and sacrifices of military veterans, were both unsettling and reflective of a leadership approach centered on self-interest. Those who endanger their lives and well-being to safeguard the rights of others demonstrate extraordinary altruism in a world full of conflict. Particularly those who dedicate themselves to freedom and global well-being, including volunteers and professionals like educators, first responders, healthcare providers, and caregivers who place the welfare of others above their own.
Narcissism and homogeneity frequently emerge as fundamental elements driving self-serving actions. These actions are evident when individuals focus excessively on their own interests or preferentially support those who resemble them physically. A pertinent illustration is a white male CEO who favors and promotes young white males who remind him of his own past, revealing a flawed aspiration to replicate his achievements through these younger individuals. In some instances, such conduct may arise from a diminished capacity for empathy toward others.
Cultivating Concern for All Others
Focusing solely on personal gain while neglecting the well-being of others erodes our natural inclination towards community and connection.
To assess how self-interest shapes your mindset, actions, and choices, reflect on these questions:
· What advantages do you gain by concentrating exclusively on yourself or your social demographic group?
· What emotions do you experience when you get your way, and how does getting your way impact the people in your life?
· What potential disadvantages might emerge from a self-serving perspective?
Cultivating a mindset that prioritizes empathy and concern for all others, while minimizing self-centeredness, can reduce stress, enhance mental health, and build lasting human connections.
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翻译 | 周怡伶
编辑 | 董江海
