Selfishness or sacrifice? Or both?
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
May 14, 2020 5:44am CST
I came across this quote recently (from Napoleon Hill - an American self-help author who died in 1970):
"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness."
I'm not so sure about this. I am thinking in particular about sports stars, such as Olympic athletes, who spent their whole young lives in the utterly selfish pursuit of excellence and could only get where they did because of the sacrifices made by others, most notably their parents.
Do you agree? Or does the quote have more relevance in other fields?
6 people like this
7 responses
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
14 May 20
Many people work hard to provide for their families or the common good rather than for their own interests.
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
15 May 20
I disagree, sometimes you see people who just lucked into a great achievement. Pretty sure some people who have achieved much, were entirely self centered (their logic brain way overpowered their abilities to socialize and interact with other human beings).
I do think we are better as a race when we are not selfish though
1 person likes this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
14 May 20
That is why I posed the question "Or both?" Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish the two.
@stapllotik (1933)
• India
14 May 20
The first part of the quote can be easily understandable and seems crystal clear. Like you invest something to achieve something. The second part of the quote is challenging. Being selfish is good at times for your well being. But too much of it can corrupt your mind in the long run.
1 person likes this
