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Tatsumi · 31-35, M
To me, selfish is everything humans do. Any action a person takes is always motivated by self-gain.
Example: A parent dies protecting their child. They decided to die, because it was more painful to them to watch their child die than to die themselves. So, to spare *themselves* pain, they decided to take the child's place.
Selfishness is not always a bad thing. For instance, say a person gives to charity, but they only do so because it makes them feel like they're a good person. It boosts their self-esteem. That's motivated by self-gain, but the fact that giving to others makes them feel good is not a bad thing.
Whereas, self-centeredness, to me, is not thinking of other people, at all.
Example: A parent dies protecting their child. They decided to die, because it was more painful to them to watch their child die than to die themselves. So, to spare *themselves* pain, they decided to take the child's place.
Selfishness is not always a bad thing. For instance, say a person gives to charity, but they only do so because it makes them feel like they're a good person. It boosts their self-esteem. That's motivated by self-gain, but the fact that giving to others makes them feel good is not a bad thing.
Whereas, self-centeredness, to me, is not thinking of other people, at all.