Role

Chapter 6

Celedyl, in seeking to explore the idea of selfishness as Azorinne requested,
spoke with others regarding their thoughts. Bazz and Garrick suggested that
selfishness was necessary because one cannot take care of another unless they
have already taken care of themselves. Garrick said that, for example, he has
gathered equipment and items of power for his own use as a Paladin to combat
evil. He could give those items to another, sure, but then he would not be
able to join the fight himself. So while it might seem selfish to take those
things for himself, in reality it serves the greater good. At least that was
the meaning behind what Garrick said, Celedyl thought, since Garrick is often
very difficult to understand.

Bazz had similar thoughts, and urged Celedyl to think around the concept of
what a selfish action looks like. Celedyl suggested that if he had a piece of
bread and was hungry, he could give that bread to another hungry person,
because there we hungry people everywhere. Or he could eat that bread himself.
If he chose to give the bread away, he could starve and thus be unable to help
other people in the future. Celedyl suggested, however, that such an act is
not truly selfish because he is not taking the bread from another's mouth,
simply not giving it away. Is choosing not to be selfless in a situation truly
selfish, or is it simply a neutral act like breathing or walking? Isn't a
truly selfish act one which not only benefits the self, but does so at
another's expense? Bazz did not see it that way.

Another concept that Celedyl expressed was, such as with Garrick's example,
performing an act that might be perceived as selfish by another but that
actually benefits others cannot be selfish by its very nature. If one's intent
behind the act is acually unselfish, then the perception of it is not how one
should judge the action. If I must take care of myself so that I can take care
of others, then taking care of myself is not a truly selfish act. It is a
necessary action with the intent of future selfless acts. In the end, the
logical loop always presented: This action is selfish because it benefits me,
but I do it with the intent of being able to do something unselfish, and so is
it truly selfish? In Celedyl's thinking, this is not truly the definition of
selfish. And neither Bazz nor Garrick could think of why an act that not only
benefits yourself, but does so at the expense of another, would be desireable
or necessary.

And so, Celedyl decided that perhaps those of the light are not the best
equipped to think around this question. As such, he asked the antipaladin
Dunvidd the same question. Dunvidd agreed that a selfish act is one which not
only benefits him, but which also does so at the expense of another. He said
that this is often necessary because there is only so much to go around. If
someone else has something, then you cannot have it as well. So if you want to