Just as many people think themselves better than they really are, many also think their way of thinking is more universal than it really is. I vehemently disagree with your tweet emphatically stating that people care exclusively about how you have and can help them. I'm a utilitarian and libertarian socialist (values which do sometimes conflict but that's beyond the scope of this comment unless you're curious in which case I'm happy to discuss it!) not because I covet and crave and envy what others have, but because I've lived a privledged, spoiled, mostly-charmed life largely thanks to situations and circumstances I can take little to no credit for, and I want everyone and every creature to be as blessed as I have been. I hate suffering and want better for others because they should not suffer as well.
Damn Louie, you just keep getting more nuanced, engaging and thoughtful in your thinking about participating in the value game. Since there is such a thing as "excessive self-regard" then I assume there would be such a thing as "reasonable self-regard." And in that respect I'd venture to guess that the kind of self-awareness and self-knowledge that comes having direct experience of your personal strengths and weaknesses, knowing when and where to bet on yourself, and when and where to ask for help or perspective, would all be highly beneficial. And then additionally, we'd feel an ethical obligation not to take advantage of those who have "diminished self-regard" by trying to sell them things they don't need.
Just as many people think themselves better than they really are, many also think their way of thinking is more universal than it really is. I vehemently disagree with your tweet emphatically stating that people care exclusively about how you have and can help them. I'm a utilitarian and libertarian socialist (values which do sometimes conflict but that's beyond the scope of this comment unless you're curious in which case I'm happy to discuss it!) not because I covet and crave and envy what others have, but because I've lived a privledged, spoiled, mostly-charmed life largely thanks to situations and circumstances I can take little to no credit for, and I want everyone and every creature to be as blessed as I have been. I hate suffering and want better for others because they should not suffer as well.
Damn Louie, you just keep getting more nuanced, engaging and thoughtful in your thinking about participating in the value game. Since there is such a thing as "excessive self-regard" then I assume there would be such a thing as "reasonable self-regard." And in that respect I'd venture to guess that the kind of self-awareness and self-knowledge that comes having direct experience of your personal strengths and weaknesses, knowing when and where to bet on yourself, and when and where to ask for help or perspective, would all be highly beneficial. And then additionally, we'd feel an ethical obligation not to take advantage of those who have "diminished self-regard" by trying to sell them things they don't need.