By Micaela Freeman | Staff Writer
When times get rough –– like at this point in the semester –– or there’s too much on your plate with school, clubs, Greek life and even a relationship, sometimes you have to just be plain selfish.
Putting the “self” in selfish is different than pushing someone out of the way, or charging to the front of a very long line. Putting the self in selfish means realizing that in order for success, you must realize that you are what counts at the end of the day.
I’ve learned this hard way –– always trying to help those around me and saying yes to every favor people ask me to do. But once mental breakdowns became a normal part of my often daily routine, I had to stop the vicious cycle that my giving nature caused me to fall into.
At the end of the day, sometimes, I simply had to say no. Or, skip that event for my mental sanity.
As a journalist, I am often hurried, hushed and hustling across Baylor and Waco for content. The toll of the life of a student with a job can get the best of any seasoned student.
My opinion of being selfish does not mean I am not selfless. In fact, I often have to be selfish to myself because I strive to be as selfless to others as possible.
I believe that people struggling with a problem such as school or anything demanding their entire attention should be selfish if it concerns their own personal success.
In the midst of being kind and a humanitarian to others, I often forget to be kind to myself, allowing my own needs to slip from my helpful hand.
According to Scientific American, people often find it easier to be selfless, and that being selfish can “pique” someone’s interest in a person because of confidence.
Scientific American noted that the cerebral frontal cortex is pin pointed when a person is selfish, and that being selfish for yourself does not disqualify your generosity as a civil participant in society.
“While we logically decide to look after ourselves, an undercurrent of empathy might push us to be generous,” Scientific American reported.
While realizing that it is indeed okay to be selfish, Psychology Today agrees in its article, “It’s OK to be Selfish,” by Jennifer Garam.
Garam takes the matter into her own hands and acknowledges that selflessness is a ticket to selfishness to oneself. Garam argues that by being entirely selfless to others, you are being entirely selfish to yourself.
“When you feel like you are lacking, the answer is not always to give to others to affirm your trust in abundance,” Garam said.
According to livescience.com, humans strive to not be selfish, but rather help others innately. This causes people to forget themselves in their acts of civility leading to ignored personal success and mental drainage.
The report explains that a person who is more concerned with how others are will focus on their success rather than his or hers.
Don’t be afraid to say no, or stay home for that Netflix marathon if it means your mental health will be saved.
