To think that most of us would put our own choices and comfort above any other concern?

[gingerginger2]

Just that really. Am I correct?

More context needed

But I can think of several examples where I wouldn’t

Morally and legally many examples

There are two types of people. There are those who would answer "yes" to your question, and then there are liars

Is there a heirachy of concerns?

For instance

Moral
Legal
Environmental

Others?

It depends what you mean. I put others ahead of myself every day of my life, and so do most people on this forum. It's not a quality exclusive to parents either. Can you be more specific about what you mean?

Oh the basis that I am currently sitting in the dark in a tiny bed with a sore back while my DC “fall asleep”, aka flap around whispering loudly, you are incorrect.

I would much rather be sitting in my rocking chair by the fire reading Middlemarch but here we are.

Yes. It's the reason the Tories keep getting elected.

I think you are wrong, most (not all) parents would put their children before their own comfort

I’ve just read so many people on here, particularly on environmental threads, and others too, basically saying that their personal choices and comfort is the most important thing to them. I’m wondering if everyone feels like that, and if there are other concerns that would come above them.

So so far as a heirachy I’d concerns we have

Legal
Moral
Environmental
Family

Any others?
How would you rank them?

yes, it's obvious in many threads on here too. MN is a different place these days.

I don't understand other people.
What OP alleges is sometimes true for me & sometimes very not true.

Don’t understand what you mean.

I’d save my nearest and dearest before strangers in a life or death situation.

I donate to charity and devote my time to causes of my choosing because I have the time and money to do so.

I think you're right. I put mine and my DCs and my DPs wants and needs in front of others. We are inherently selfish as a race and put our comforts, not even basic needs, above others.

Yes. Most people would

Are most people inherently selfish, apart from when it comes to their children?

I put environmental concerns above my own convenience to an extent. Washable sanpro, loose fruit and veg, car share, shampoo and conditioner bars, vegan, no tumble drier etc.

But I don't put other people ahead of my DC. Hence choosing an area with Grammar schools for instance.

Actually I don't think I put myself first that much, genuinely. I'm not really sure what you mean, what kind of situations are you thinking of?

Today I gave up my seat on the train for an elderly lady even though I'm pregnant. Does that count?!

On the recent environment thread the only truly selfish comment I remember was the poster who thinks we should carry on flying strawberries halfway round the world all year round because "some of us happen to like them thank you very much". Everyone else seemed fairly sensible.

I think some people are altruistic and put themselves consciously last. And some people are selfish put themselves before everything..

And most people are somewhere in the middle, with it being case by case in terms of logic and depending on how much they desire something or are desperate I’m terms of the convenience

What? No.

There are obviously varying degrees at which people are willing to put their own needs before others, and frankly that is perfectly natural.

I don’t actually believe that people are inherently selfish at all. Just look at the new research disproving the bystander effect.

But there are plenty of people who are selfish and perhaps, by the nature of selfishness, they tend to be more powerful and successful than others.

Tbh the question is vague and oversimplified. There are a million different scenarios and ways to be selfish so just a general “are people selfish” is not going to shed much light on the nature of humanity.

Cant speak for everyone else but YANBU when it comes to myself. It gets trickier when its between family members, your 2 children for example.

I also believe that people have a geographically limited capacity for empathy.

For example I believe that the majority of people would be appalled at walking down the street and seeing a manufacturer that employed children, or saw people sprawled out on the streets dying of starvation. But distance and detachment is inevitable and it can be really hard to constantly have the needs of others in your mind. I’m not well off, I buy clothes from primark for example. The reason those clothes are cheap are because people are getting paid next to nothing to make them. Am I against that in principle? Yes. Does it stop me buying £3 leggings vs £18 ones? Sadly no.

When it comes to environmental issues people do seem to not give much of a shit. There's also a lot of hypocrisy, like being evangelical about single use plastic but choosing to have dogs, each of which has a bigger carbon footprint than a car.