Can one have self-interest without being selfish?
a concern for one’s own welfare at the expense of or in disregard of others. Being selfish means I hate you (or at least display hateful behavior towards you), I am always more important than you, my needs are always greater than yours, or that I’m always “number one”. On the other hand, self-interest dictates that you put yourself first, but it doesn’t dictate that you put others last or exclude them. That would be falling back on the definition of selfish-interest again instead of staying self-interested.
