Selfishness
Like any other sort of human vice, selfishness -- or the excessive concern with one's own individual desires and appetites -- can be threatening to the established social order if it slips out of control. Our own definition of selfishness takes into account its social effects: we establish selfishness as a vice by emphasizing not only the excessive self-regard it demonstrates, but also the excessive disregard for the well-being of others that accompanies it. Selfishness can thus be considered as an active potential threat to the established order under certain circumstances, but here we reach a paradox. The structure of American society is such that the economic and ideological system which serves as its underpinning, and which we may loosely define as "capitalistic," to a certain degree presents selfishness as a virtue, or at least regards it as an amoral process with no deleterious real-world effects for society. I hope…...

Selfishness of Employees
There are a number of problems that need to be addressed by the company, and to do this will require decisive leadership. That leadership must combine a common strategic vision with the ability to transfer ideas between cultures. This paper will explain this concept of leadership as it pertains to running a global organization that faces some difficulties.

There are a number of different communications issues that have lead to the current situation. The employees around the world are not working to a common objective. Additionally, they each have a differing view on moral and ethical issues, and how to manage the company. There are also issues with employee fit, where some employees do not properly fit with their roles within the company. This leads to reductions in workplace satisfaction and other problems.

There are a number of different leadership theories that are applicable in this circumstance. Servant leadership is…...

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Works Cited:

Cherry, K. (2010). What is autocratic leadership? About.com. Retrieved December 6, 2010 from  http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/autocratic-leadership.htm 

Greenleaf.org. (2008). What is servant leadership? Greenleaf.org. Retrieved December 6, 2010 from  http://www.greenleaf.org/whatissl/index.html 

Thomas, K. (2000). Intrinsic motivation at work: Building energy and commitment. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Rand's Rational Self Interest
Rand’s philosophy regarding selfishness and altruism contains a crucial dichotomy, as virtually anyone’s philosophy regarding opposite concepts would. However, the opposition in Rand’s concept may surprise those who are not familiar with her philosophy. At a very basic level, Rand is stating that selfishness is actually good, and that altruism is really evil in “Introduction to the Virtue of Selfishness”. Thus, there is opposition found within this opposition, as most people would say the inverse of the aforementioned statement. However, the author reveals there are facets of selfishness which are morally beneficial, and aspects of altruism which are decidedly malefic.

Rand’s philosophy, then, is that the polarization of these terms is responsible for the moral boons of the former and the moral disadvantages of the latter. The author states that most people equate selfishness with a blanket “evil” (Rand 5), which they do not distinguish from the results…...

In this example, morality is decided by the gain, pleasure, and other self-interest of the individual donning the ring. Such individuals would more than likely obtain this gain by committing illicit activities, such as robbing a bank, but use their winnings for fairly self-absorbed means to further their consumption of whatever suits their fancy. Houses, cars, women and other material items would more than likely be procured, for the simple fact that the individual is sating his own personal desires. In this case there is no need to act ethically, since the bearer of the ring is outside of the judgment (both literally and figuratively) of others, whose morals no longer apply to that individual.
The Rashomon effect describes the degree of subjectivity involved in the recollection of a memory, and is what is attributed to the fact that different people may recall the same incident with conflicting descriptions of…...

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Works Cited

1. Singer, Peter. How Are We To Live? (1995). New York: Prometheus Books

Horatio Alger" by Harlon L. Dalton.
The Horatio Alger myth is the 'rags to riches' story that America likes to represent itself as. Hard work and perseverance can pull the poor out of poverty and make him rich. The problem is that this myth is only partially true. Analysis of the myth shows that accompanying conditions necessitate integrity and honesty. It is only the privileged few who can possess wealth within the framework of integrity and honesty. Dalton insists that the myth is false when applied to people of Black extraction. It seems to me that the myth is false when applied to individuals of any extraction for conditions of the corporate world, particularly of the world of today and particularly for the disgruntled poor, necessitate conniving, Self-centeredness, selfishness, and other omission of values to succeed. Black people -- as any -- can become wealthy; they may need to renounce…...

Worst Faults a Military Leader Can Exhibit:
Incompetence, selfishness, and living in the past

"If America is to meet the multiple challenges of the 21st century, it is crucial that we develop a system that places the right people in the right places in government at the right moment."[footnoteRef:1] ut just as critical as being the 'right' type of leader is avoiding making some of the most typical mistakes of poor leaders of the past. Incompetence and disorganization; fighting the last war rather than the current conflict (i.e., living in the past); selfishness and a focus on the personal ego rather than the actual needs of the nation are the three worst faults a leader can exhibit. [1: J. McCausland, "Developing strategic leaders for the 21st century," Strategic Studies Institute, 2008. Available: http://www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil / (26 Sept 2013), xi]

On a very basic level, military leaders must have basic organizational skills. "In the…...

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Bibliography

Bartone, P, Barry, C., & Armstrong, R. "To Build Resilience: Leader Influence on Mental

Hardiness. Defense Horizons, 69 (2009): 1-8.

Hermann, Margaret. "Assessing leadership style: A trait analysis." Social Science Automation

1999

Unlike hadcoe altuism, no assumption of elatedness is necessay. Soft-coe altuism is diected beyond kin as a simple exchange of favos. (Gachte & Falk, 2002, pp1-25) Unlike hadcoe altuism, the soft-coe vaiety is less fimly tiggeed by the spontaneous calculus of the genes and moe "deeply influenced by the vagaies of cultual evolution. (Yamagishi, 1992, pp267-87) Unlike the hadcoe species in which the altuistic act is genuinely diected at othes even though one's own genes ae benefited, soft-coe altuism is ultimately moe selfish and dependent upon ecipocation as a condition fo its aousal. (Bingham, 1999, pp133-69) Unlike hadcoe altuism which is lagely "iational," soft-coe altuism equies calculation, "often in a wholly conscious way, to ensue one's needs ae seved, even though emotive mechanisms like deceit and petense may also infom this behavio. Wilson's tem "softcoe" app11es to the pinciple of ecipocal altuism fist outlined in a pape by R.…...

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references. In S.N. Durlauf, & H.P. Young (Eds.), Social dynamics ( pp. 155 -- 190). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Falk, a., Fehr, E, & Fischbacher, U. (2002). Testing theories of fairness and reciprocity -- intentions matter. Zurich: University of Zurich.

Foster, K.R., Wenseleers, T., & Ratnieks, F.I.W. (2001). Spite: Hamilton's unproven theory. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 38, 229 -- 238.

Gachter, S., & Falk, a. (2002). Reputation or reciprocity? Consequences for labour relations. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 104, 1 -- 25.

Gachter, S., & Fehr, E. (1999). Collective action as a social exchange. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 39, 341 -- 369.

Family to Family by Pipes and Lee
After earning his Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary, Dr. Jerry Pipes dedicated his life to the cause of using spirituality as the foundation for strengthening family ties, with Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy standing as one of his lasting contributions to that cause. Victor Lee -- Pipes' co-author on the project -- serves as the Minister of Single Adults & Evangelism at First aptist Concord, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and his specialized skill set in the realm of ministry to young people is prevalent throughout the book. Together, Pipes and Lee combine to tackle the age-old dilemma facing families everywhere: emotional distance between spouses, a lack of connection between parents and children, and rivalries between siblings. Rather than devote several chapters to a discussion of why these problems seem to afflict families across all spectrums -- including religious and secular…...

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Bibliography

Pipes, Jerry, Victor Lee. Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy. (Alpharetta, GA: North

American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1999).

Searching for One's Self
The rigors and difficulty associated with finding the self-presented by Robert Thurman and Azar Nafisi contrast with the idea of selfhood presented by Jean Twenge in markedly different ways. This fact is underscored all the more clearly by reading Thurman's "Wisdom," Nafisi's "Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran" and Twenge's "An Army of One: Me." Specifically, Thurman and Nafisi are actually concerned with an exploration of the self to discover a unique identity within an individual. Twenge, on the other hand, is writing about the self in relation to the concept of selfishness, and largely posits the notion that the preoccupation with the self that typifies contemporary society is innately limiting in this regard. Quite simply, there is no difficulty associated with the sort of selfish selfhood that Twenge writes about, whereas such difficulties dominate the writings of Thurman and Nafisis because they are about finding a…...

This is a clear and explicit statement of the gods' selfishness, and in the context of the story of Zeus' in particular. There is no other reason provided for his desire to keep fire away from humanity; it is not out of a prudent and paternal fear of fire's destructive powers, nor because of something divine in the very essence of fire that is not to be sullied by human hands, but merely because it is part of the "stuff of life," and the gods do not feel like sharing. It is one more way in which Zeus can feel superior to man, and though this type of petty selfishness might not be very becoming to the king of gods in the Greek pantheon, maker of thunder and lover of swans, it is certainly appropriate for a villain.
So, too, is the ingenuity with which Zeus goes about punishing mankind…...

Joseph Heller
The novels "Catch-22" and "Something Happened" demonstrates the inevitable presence of black humor, irrationality and immorality that prevails in times of war or conflict in human society, as humans pursue power and superiority -- that is, survival (of the fittest).

Outlining of the three major themes discussed in the paper, namely: black humor, irrationality, and immorality in Catch-22, mainly centering on the characters in the novel. Comparison of "Catch-22" against another Heller novel, "Something Happened."

Illustrations of lack Humor in "Catch-22" vis-a-vis "Something Happened"

Demonstrations of irrationality in "Catch-22" vis-a-vis "Something Happened"

Presence of immorality in "Catch-22" vis-a-vis "Something Happened"

Synthesis

Heller's consistent portrayal of humanity as ultimately irrational and immoral portrays humans' innate need to survive regardless of the means by which they achieve it (survival).

Conclusion: Reiteration of the thesis statement

lack Humor, Irrationality and Immorality of Human Society as Portrayed in Joseph Heller's novels (Catch-22 and Something Happened)

Mid-20th century had been a pivotal point…...

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Bibliography

Cochran, D. (2000). America Noir: Underground Writers and Filmmakers of the Postwar Era. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Coker, C. (2003). Humane Warfare. NY: Taylor & Francis.

Doody, M. (1996). The True Story of the Novel. NJ: Rutgers UP.

Garrett, D. (2001). "Portrait of the Artist, As an Old Man." World Literature Today, Vol. 75, Issue 1.

Environment
William F. Baxter argues in favor of a people-oriented perspective on environmentalism in his article "People or Penguins." According to Baxter, measures to protect or conserve natural resources are only meaningful if they benefit human beings. In fact, the author asserts that concerns like clean air and water should be the means, not the end. Human beings, Baxter feels, are the end. Penguins and pine trees matter insofar as they please human beings, but they do not matter for their own sake. To support his arguments, Baxter first outlines four philosophical criteria by which he bases his observations about environmentalism. First, Baxter urges that all persons should do as they will as long as they do not "interfere with the interests of other human beings," (604). Second, Baxter notes that human beings possess limited resources, not just natural products like coal or water but also human labor resources. Therefore, we…...

Alexis De Tocqueville
In every era of equality each man looks for his beliefs within his self and in the era of equality men are unconnected of one another, isolated, and frail. (Vol: 2; Section 1: Chapter: 3) In a democratic society, the citizens are extremely defenseless, however the state, that characterize them all and holds them all its clutches, is extremely authoritative. In no other form of administration, citizens are irrelevant as in a democratic country. (Vol: 2; Section 1: Chapter: 12) Alexis de Tocqueville was of the view that increased forms of equality tend to move towards isolation. In case of a democratic nation where all the citizens enjoy equal status, and are observed from a proximal distance from each other, individuals are cocooned within themselves and contend upon evaluating the world from that standpoint.

The custom of Americans guides their minds to other habits, to setting up the standard…...

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References

Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. Retrieved from   Accessed on 5 May, 2005http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/toc_indx.html 

Dry hite Season
In Andre Brink's novel A Dry hite Season, the background of apartheid-era South Africa sets the stage for a legal battle which challenged the racial policies of the period. During Apartheid, the governmental regime set about a system of government-sanctioned racism which forced the black people of the area to suffer greatly. The story is on the surface a murder mystery which then enters the genre of political thriller. The central character of the story is white school teacher Ben du Toit. Although he begins the story as a selfish man concerned more with preserving the status quo and with it his own protection than in investigating the brutality of an assault on an innocent young man. Through the course of the story, du Toit evolves into a man who cannot stand by while allowing the present racist government policy to continue on unquestioned. His selfishness morphs…...

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Works Cited:

Brink, Andre? P. A Dry White Season. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006. Print.

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Moral Environment
Ayn Rand's The Ethics of Emergencies speaks about the value of selfishness or self-interest. Although "selfishness" might seem negative at first, Rand's explanation makes quite a bit of sense. Rand speaks about selfishness as a rational process in which a person sets his/her hierarchy of values and lives according to those values in order to achieve the moral purpose of life: one's own happiness.

Summary of The Ethics of Emergencies

According to Ayn Rand's The Ethics of Emergencies, the moral purpose of life is to achieve one's own happiness. Describing her belief in Objectivism in 1962, Rand stated, "Man -- every man -- is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of…...

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Works Cited

Dictionary.com LLC. (2012). Altruism. Retrieved on June 10, 2012 from thesaurus.com Web site:  http://thesaurus.com/browse/altruism?s=t 

Peikoff, L. (2012). Malevolent universe premise. Retrieved on June 10, 2012 from aynrandlexicon.com Web site:  http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/malevolent_universe_premise.html 

Rand, A. (1964). The Ethics of Emergencies. In A. Rand, & N. Branden, The Virtue of Selfishness (pp. 49-56). New York, NY: New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Rand, A. (2012). Introducing Objectivism. Retrieved on June 10, 2012 from aynrandlexicon.com Web site:  http://aynrandlexicon.com/ayn-rand-ideas/introducing-objectivism.html

There are several steps that can be taken to prevent the rise of selfishness from leading to the collapse of modern society:

1. Promote empathy and compassion: Education and awareness programs can help foster empathy and compassion towards others, encouraging individuals to think beyond their own self-interests.

2. Strengthen social institutions: Strong social institutions such as community organizations, schools, and government bodies can provide support and guidance to individuals, encouraging them to act in the best interest of society as a whole.

3. Foster a sense of community: Building strong communities where individuals feel connected and supported can help prevent selfish behavior and....

Combating the Rise of Selfishness to Prevent Societal Collapse

The rise of selfishness poses a significant threat to modern society, potentially leading to its collapse if left unchecked. To address this challenge, a comprehensive approach is required, spanning societal, educational, and individual efforts.

1. Fostering Empathy and Compassion:

Implement programs in schools and workplaces that focus on empathy, compassion, and social responsibility.
Encourage interactions and relationships that foster understanding and empathy across diverse perspectives.

2. Promoting Social Justice and Equality:

Ensure access to essential resources, healthcare, and education for all.
Combat systemic inequalities that perpetuate division and foster resentment.
Create opportunities for individuals....