An Introduction to the Importance of Self Interest

Despite years of traditional religious education, I find myself learning the delicate art of self-interest. The empowering knowledge that I am indeed the captain of my ship leaves me with feelings of control and peace and undoubtedly a measure of guilt.

While I do most certainly believe in a higher power, I cannot subscribe to any preconceived religion. The Sophists, a group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece, profess that truth is always relative (Tarnas 26) and that seems to me the most comfortable assurance.

That leaves me with the question: Is free will the same as flexible atheism?

I know that probability is in favor of a God, and yet with little or no empirical proof, all claims of faith seem rather unsubstantiated to me. And yet, this seems to displease many people that I am close to. My parents are quietly disappointed, and some friends have acted self-righteous about their unwavering faiths, while as far as I can see, they preach Christianity, but don’t come close to practicing it.

Strangers I have met at work have invited me to join them in their worship. I get pamphlets on my car, and messages on my answering machine. It seems that everyone is trying to “save” me. From myself? From eternal damnations? I have a lingering suspicion that I am supposed to believe in “something”, so I try to reach deep within me for some spiritual faith. The futile attempt for absolute truth leaves me feeling frustrated. What the search has left me with is faith in myself, faith to make my own decisions, and to choose my destiny.

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I am not limited by chance. I can and will rely on my mind to find my way in this life.

They are logical to me. Every person has his or her reality. (TARNAS 27) The world is best viewed apart from religious prejudices (TARANIS 29) The only truth is that humanity doesn’t know the whole truth about the Cosmos and the Covenant. The standards for right and wrong are insubstantial, (TARANIS 28) yet that is not to say that there is no right or wrong, merely that one has to find it on his own and not live by social standards.

These are just not popular values in America today. The emphasis is to believe, to be saved, and to give your life over to your faith. But chances are, none of us will know the truth while we are on this earth, so what is there to strive for? According to the Sophists, education is of primary importance. Material success should be the purpose of life. Don’t spend your time worrying bout the questions of the universe, find the physical evidence of life itself and learn about it.

These teaching seem to tie in with Existentialist beliefs. Existentialism professes one concrete individual existence, and the absolute freedom for that individual to choose. It bucks the Platonic tradition that hte highest good is the same for everyone and takes the stance that the individual must find his or her unique way.

In Being and Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre conceived that humans were beings that created their world by accepting personal responsibility for their actions, unaided by society, traditional morality, or religious faith. Ayn Rand characterized it beautifully in Atlas Shrugged, where her characters refused to live their lives for the benefit of others. Soren Kierkegaard stressed the importance of individual action in determining questions of truth, morality, and faith. Friedrich Nietzsche contended that the individual must decide for himself, exactly which situations are of moral importance. This seems a direct result of the Sophist teaching that each man has his existence, therefore his reality.

The Christian Bible contains many stories and proverbs. God has given most humans a mind capable of ascertaining at least relative truth. With so little proof, where does this faith in the unknown come from? Protagoras said, “Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing whether they exist or not, nor of what forms they are; for there are many obstacles to such knowledge, including the obscurity of the subject and their shortness of human life”. (TARNAS 28) And yet, why does Christianity instill such a fear in people? We are left with a fear of God, a fear of Hell, and a fear of eternal repercussions for life on earth. Why have we been given the mind to choose, if when we make the wrong choice or no choice at all, we are at the mercy of the unknown?

In my reality, I have a system of values and morals that more than likely came from Christian teachings. However, I do not consider only their origins, I examine what they are in their entirety. I do not believe that truth is both subjective and relative. Is it wrong to steal a car for fun? Yes. Is it wrong to steal a car if your child’s life is in danger? No. Every moment of our lives involves a choice. The right choice for each individual may not be popular, understood, or even legal, but it is up to every individual to find his code of ethics.

Rationality is not to be looked down upon or pitied. I do not feel I am any less worthy than a Christian because I do not know the secrets of the universe. Christians do not know either. They base their lives on faith in something unseen, while I choose to base my life and beliefs on my mind, of which I do not even begin to know the entire contents. Is there only one good? Is there only one Truth? It seems to me that truth is as infinite as the imagination will allow. Every choice, every moment is rooted in a personal belief of some sort. We know what we are taught, and what we dare to imagine. The results of my quest for Truth will most likely always be unknown, so I will continue to live for today. And my revelation is that Truth is what I can see, touch, hear, taste and smell. Truth is in the world around me. As Kierkegaard said in his journal, “I must find a truth that is true for me….the idea for which I can live or die.”