Freud discovered that each of us repeats the tragedy of the mythical
Greek Narcissus: we are hopelessly absorbed with ourselves. If we care
about anyone it is usually ourselves first of all. As Aristotle
somewhere put it: luck is when the guy next to you gets hit with the
arrow.
-Ernest Becker, in The Denial of Death.
Surely, Becker means that Freud discovered this aspect of human nature for himself. He hardly discovered this for the rest of us.
Is it a hopeless situation?
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only
to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
-Philippians 2:1-4
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