the selfishness of selflessness

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I was just sitting here marveling at the number of aspects of spiritual life are really razor's-edge in substance and implication.

What caught my eye was the between-the-lines topic of a post I read elsewhere -- the topic being the selfishness of selflessness. Since selfishness is often acknowledged as an unattractive trait, there is sometimes a tendency to praise and embrace its alternative, selflessness.

But selfless actions are sometimes just an excuse to elevate and define what has not been investigated thoroughly in the first place -- namely, the self. Is doing good for others really doing good for others or is it a matter of wanting to think well of your self ... a way of escaping inspection of what may feel like an under-valued and undeserving home?

It's a sticky wicket ... one worth looking into, I think.
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