Why You’re An Asshole (And Why That’s Just Fine)

You’re a hypocrite who thinks you’re the best person who has ever lived, but you’re not alone. We’re all that way, and it’s just fine — so long as you forgive everyone else for the shortcomings we all share.

Every one of us feels we are the best person we know, and if you don’t believe this you’re either lying or there’s something wrong with you. Wait! Before you go write an angry comment or email let’s talk about this for a minute. If you could become another person, would you do it? Is there anyone out there that you’re absolutely certain would be better than you? If you think you do, you probably don’t know enough about this person to be sure or you’re suffering from some form of depression. I realise this is a big assumption to make, but when our brains are working properly they take measures to assure that, in the end, we believe we’re making the best choices, doing the right things, and — in our specific life — nobody else could do it better. Let’s take a look at why this is the case.

Synthesised Happiness

You’re More Than Yourself

Ning Blog

Temporal Bias

So… Now What?

Much of what all this amounts to is that we’re all very capable of becoming assholes (here are a few of your own reasons for making the transformation) and we all still think we’re pretty great. Should you change? Only if your behaviour is causing you and others grief. This is really just a part of being human, however, and the best thing we can do is accept our limitations — and the same limitations in others — to make living together a much more pleasant experience.