The most common image of revolution... has several basic components: violence, novelty and the universality of change. These signs apply equally to the revolutionary process, to its causes and consequences.

Revolution is characterized as the most intense, violent and deliberate process of all social movements. It is seen as the ultimate expression of free will and deep feelings, a manifestation of extraordinary organizational abilities and a high ideology of social protest...

It is generally accepted that the preconditions for revolutions are fundamental social anomalies or flagrant manifestations of injustice, the combination of struggle between elites with deeper social factors like class struggle, the involvement of large social groups in the social movement and their political organization.

The results of the revolution appear to be multifaceted. Firstly, this is a violent change in the existing political regime... Secondly, the replacement of an incapable ruling elite or ruling class with others.

Thirdly, far-reaching changes in all institutional spheres, primarily in the economy and class relations - changes that are aimed at modernizing most aspects of social life, at economic development and industrialization, centralization and expansion of the circle of participants in the political process. Fourthly, a radical break with the past... I believe, fifthly, that revolutions carry out not only institutional and organizational changes, but also make changes in morality and education.

Explanation.

The answer indicates such distinctive features of the revolution as

Process intensity

Violent character

Explanation.

1) The answer names the prerequisites for the revolution:

Blatant manifestations of social injustice;

Fundamental social anomalies;

Class struggle;

The emergence of political organizations.

2) The answer reveals the meaning of the concept of reform, for example: reform - changes initiated by state power, affecting, as a rule, only one of the spheres of public life and not changing the fundamental foundations of the social system.

What are the signs of revolution? Which of them can be attributed to reform? Use an example of a reform to illustrate this feature. The example should be detailed.

Explanation.

1) The answer gives signs of revolution:

Violence;

Novelty;

Universality.

2) It is pointed out that revolution has something in common with reform: novelty.

3) An example is given: during the reform in the field of education in Russia, a new form of certification of students and entrance exams to universities was introduced - the Unified State Exam.

Explanation.

1) The correct answer contains the following correspondences:

Changes in the political regime - political sphere;

Implementation of industrialization - economic sphere;

Changes in class relations - social sphere;

Changes in morality and education - the spiritual sphere.

2) The answer concludes that the results of the revolution confirm such a feature as the universality of change.

Read the text and complete tasks 21-24.

The rate of growth and maturation is influenced by the lifestyle of the developing person, modes of activity - play, sports, education - labor and social behavior, hygienic conditions of the lifestyle, nutrition, sleep and wakefulness, closely related to the status of the individual, the presence or absence of stressors, the most important of which are conflict situations, etc. All these factors are important not only in themselves as moments in the formation of the subject’s personality, but also as forces influencing the organic development of a person at certain moments of his ontogenesis. As determinants of this development, they play the role of stimulants (promoting the processes of growth and maturation) or, conversely, stressors and depressors (delaying, even perverting these processes), and in some cases - catalysts (accelerating the action of other factors, including physical chemical, on these processes)<...>

A very important direction in the influence of a person’s life path (biography) on his ontogenetic evolution is the ever-increasing individualization of this evolution. The fact is that age-related variability is increasingly mediated by individual variability. The importance of individual-typical characteristics of a person increases in the middle and late phases of human life. Characterological features, special abilities and the level of general talent influence one or another direction of development of a person’s life activity and his properties (vitality, performance, ability to work). Constant mental activity, high social activity, work and creativity are factors that resist involutionary processes and regulate the course of organic development.

B. G. Ananyev. Man as an object of knowledge

Name any four factors of organic human development identified by the author.

Explanation.

1) the lifestyle of a developing person;

2) methods of his activity - gaming, sports, educational;

3) labor and social behavior;

4) hygienic conditions of life, nutrition, sleep and wakefulness;

5) presence or absence of stressors;

6) mental activity;

7) social activity;

8) labor and creativity.

How, according to the author, can the identified development factors influence a person? List three possible roles. Based on social science knowledge, explain the meaning of the concept “personality”.

Explanation.

1. The answer must indicate that the factors identified may play a role

1) stimulants (promoting the processes of growth and maturation),

2) stressors and depressors (delaying; even distorting these processes),

3) catalysts (accelerating the action of other factors, including physicochemical ones).

2. The meaning of the concept of personality is revealed, for example: personality is an individual as an active participant in social relations, possessing a set of socially significant qualities and a role set.

The author states that: “Characterological features, special abilities and the level of general talent influence one or another direction of development of a person’s life activity and his properties (vitality, performance, ability to work).” Illustrate with specific examples how each of these factors influences human development and its properties. In total, indicate three factors and three detailed examples.

Explanation.

Factors and specific examples are indicated:

1) characterological features. For example, since childhood, Ivan had a phlegmatic temperament and calm character; this largely determined his interest in chess, which became his hobby throughout his life.

2) special abilities. For example, Semyon had a good voice from birth, he began to study vocals, which helped him make a career as a singer.

3) individual level of general talent. Since childhood, Galina was an intellectually gifted child; she devoted a lot of time to extracurricular activities, as a result she developed a high performance capacity, she became a very valuable and respected employee of a large company.

Explanation.

The following arguments can be given in support:

1) Frequent conflicts (family, school) can lead to the development of aggressive behavior in a teenager;

2) A conflict in which a person became a participant or witness in early childhood can form phobias or complexes in him that will remain with him for the rest of his life;

3) Thanks to participation in conflicts, a person learns to defend his position, look for ways out of a difficult situation, and make responsible decisions.

Based on your knowledge of the social science course and social experience, confirm the validity of the author’s statement: “Without self-esteem, it is difficult or even impossible to determine oneself in life.” Indicate any three life situations and give explanations for each of them, what is the importance of adequate self-esteem.

Read the text and complete tasks 21-24.

“Self-awareness is not only knowledge of oneself, but also a certain attitude towards oneself: towards one’s qualities and states, capabilities, physical and spiritual strength, that is, self-esteem.

Man as an individual is a self-evaluating being. Without self-esteem, it is difficult or even impossible to determine oneself in life. True self-esteem presupposes a critical attitude towards oneself, constantly measuring one’s capabilities against the demands of life, the ability to independently set achievable goals for oneself, strictly evaluate the flow of one’s thoughts and its results, subject the guesses put forward to careful testing, and thoughtfully weigh all the pros and cons ", abandon unjustified hypotheses and versions<...>

True self-esteem maintains a person's dignity and gives him moral satisfaction. An adequate or inadequate attitude towards oneself leads either to harmony of spirit, providing reasonable self-confidence, or to constant conflict, sometimes leading a person to a neurotic state. The most adequate attitude towards oneself is the highest level of self-esteem.”

A.G. Spirkin.

Consciousness and self-awareness

What two components of self-awareness does the author name?

Explanation.

The following components of self-awareness should be indicated:

1) knowing yourself;

2) attitude towards oneself (towards one’s qualities and conditions, capabilities, physical and spiritual strengths).

Explanation.

The answer should be

2) An explanation is given based on the text:

Self-esteem and self-knowledge together constitute an individual's self-awareness.

3) The meaning of the concept of personality is revealed, for example:

Personality is an individual as an active participant in social relations, possessing a set of socially significant qualities and a role set.

Based on the text and personal experience, name any three manifestations of the influence of low self-esteem on a person’s life.

Explanation.

The answer may name such manifestations of this influence, for example:

1) low self-esteem does not allow maintaining a person’s dignity in his own eyes;

2) low self-esteem leads to a person’s insecure behavior in various situations;

3) low self-esteem leads to neurotic reactions (complexity, dissatisfaction with oneself, anger at other people, envy, etc.).

Other manifestations may also be mentioned.

Explanation.

Descriptions of such situations can be given, for example:

1) choice of profession (the more adequate the self-esteem, the more successful the professional self-determination);

2) choosing the path of education (the more correct the assessment of one’s abilities and capabilities, the more successful the choice and its result);

3) the choice of methods (style) of interaction with others (the more correct the assessment of one’s personal qualities, the more demanding and critical the attitude towards oneself, the more successful the relationships with others are);

4) choice of a spouse (the more adequate the self-esteem, the more accurate the modeling of one’s relationship with the chosen one).

Descriptions of other situations may be given that illustrate the importance of self-esteem for the individual.

Read the text and complete tasks 21-24.

A person cannot exist in the world without learning to navigate it. Orientation depends on people’s ability to adequately comprehend the world, correlating knowledge about the world and knowledge about themselves. Therefore, the question of knowledge is one of the most philosophical.

Cognition, as a first approximation, can be defined as a set of processes that provide a person with the opportunity to receive, process and use information about the world and about himself.

Those phenomena or processes to which people’s cognitive activity is directed are usually called the object of knowledge. The one who carries out cognitive activity acquires the status of a subject of knowledge. The subject of cognition can be an individual, a group, or society as a whole.

Thus, cognition is a specific form of interaction between the subject and the object of cognition, the ultimate goal of which is to obtain the truth, ensuring the development of the object, taking into account the needs of the subject...

Hence the need to explore the mechanism of the relationship that arises between the subject receiving knowledge and the object as a source of knowledge, between the subject and knowledge, between knowledge and the object...

When considering the problem of the relationship between the subject and knowledge, a complex of questions arises. In part, they arise in connection with the subject’s mastery of already acquired knowledge (monographs, diagrams, formulas, tables, etc.). The mastery of ready-made knowledge has its own specifics, and the latter sets its own “rules of the game” to the subject of knowledge.

In addition, in the relationship between the subject and knowledge, the problem arises of assessing knowledge on the part of the subject, determining its adequacy, completeness, and sufficiency for solving a specific problem situation.

And finally, there are problems in the relationship between knowledge and the object as the source of this knowledge. These are questions of the truth of knowledge, its criterion. Any knowledge is always knowledge about a specific object. In this regard, the question arises about the sufficiency of the grounds for the transition from a “vague” perception of an object to rational conclusions regarding the object, the transition from subjective to objective.

(I, I, Kalkoy, Yu.A. Sandulov)

List two definitions of cognition that the authors give.

Explanation.

The correct answer must contain the following definitions:

1) a set of processes that provide a person with the opportunity to receive, process and use information about the world and about himself;

2) a specific form of interaction between the subject and the object of cognition, the ultimate goal of which is to obtain the truth, ensuring the development of the object, taking into account the needs of the subject.

Explanation.

The correct answer must include the following elements:

1) Definition: the one who carries out cognitive activity acquires the status of a subject of knowledge;

2) The named subjects of knowledge: individual, group, society as a whole.

3) The meaning of the concept is explained, for example: truth is knowledge that objectively corresponds to the subject of knowledge.

What two aspects of the connection between the subject and knowledge do the authors highlight? Illustrate each of them with an example.

Explanation.

1) two aspects of communication:

Mastery by the subject of already acquired (ready) knowledge and assessment of knowledge on the part of the subject;

Determining their sufficiency to solve a specific problem.

2) examples, let's say:

The student studies the laws discovered by Newton (the subject’s mastery of already acquired (ready) knowledge and the assessment of knowledge on the part of the subject);

Students conduct experiments on growing plants, for which at each stage they determine what knowledge is necessary and sufficient for them (determining its sufficiency to solve a specific problem).

Other examples may be given.

Explanation.

The correct answer may include the following criteria:

1) social practice (this or that type of cognition has as a criterion of truth the corresponding form of practice: everyday practice, observation, experiment, etc.);

2) formal-logical criterion (used in conditions where there is no possibility of relying on practice; for example, identifying logical contradictions in mathematical reasoning);

3) consistency with the knowledge whose truth has been established.

Criteria of truth may be given in other formulations.

Read the text and complete tasks 21-24.

The method of production of material goods is the main criterion of social progress. But this criterion is more of an economic nature than a general social one. The general philosophical criterion is a person, or more precisely, a person’s position in society.

The movement of human society forward is not an end in itself. The transition from one formation to another is accomplished through a social revolution, the purpose of which is to eliminate the old outdated forms of production relations and create the necessary conditions for the development of the individual abilities of each member of society. Every revolution<...>with certain deviations associated with various social, political, economic, class, etc. conditions, and depending on the tasks it solves, it puts the human problem at the center of attention. Strictly speaking, social revolutions are carried out in the name of man.

Labor productivity shows the economic and technical aspects of social progress. It determines the state of the means of production at a given stage of development of society, the degree of mastery of the spontaneous forces of nature, and the ability to produce material goods. Production relations show the relationship of people to the means of production, reflect the essence of a given method of production, its social structure, and the mechanism of interaction between people. The human problem reveals the attitude of society towards each individual. She finds out the degree of freedom of a person, the possibility of satisfying his material and spiritual needs.

The position of a person in society characterizes the social aspect of progress. The more progressive a society is, the more conditions it creates for the development of man and his essential forces.

In my opinion, one should not confuse the general philosophical criterion of progress with a particular criterion, say, with a spiritual or economic criterion. The criterion of reason is a particular criterion in the sphere of spiritual life, if, of course, there is progress in this area. The criterion of productive forces or mode of production is a criterion in the economic field. The criterion of progress in morality applies only to the moral sphere. All these criteria are very important, but insufficient to characterize the entire progressive development of the historical process. The general philosophical criterion pays main attention to the core that is at the center of all world history. A person acts as such a core. Therefore, the general philosophical criterion of social progress is the position of man in the surrounding natural and social reality, because, in the end, everything is done in the name of man and for man.

2) During its development, human society improved its knowledge in the field of medicine. Thus, in the era of traditional society, without knowledge of the physiology and anatomy of internal organs, medicinal plants affecting them were empirically found, which made it possible to treat many diseases and make people’s quality of life higher.;

3) With the transition to a post-industrial society, mass technologies (Internet, mobile communications, etc.) began to be widely introduced into people’s lives, which expanded their communication capabilities and made access to information freer.

Other examples may be given

Explanation.

The correct answer must contain the following elements:

1) criteria of social progress named by the author:

Method of production of material goods (economic);

The position of man in society (general philosophical);

The degree of democratization of society;

Average life expectancy;

Infant mortality rate;

Level of media freedom.

Other criteria may be mentioned

Healthy egoism is characterized, first of all, by a person’s ability to act in his own interests and achieve the results that he needs, without violating the rights of others and without making others suffer. Unhealthy egoism, which can also be called, is much more unpleasant: it forces a person to act at his own discretion in everything, to “go over his head,” without caring at all about the life and well-being of even those closest to him.

Egocentrism prevents people from putting themselves in someone else's shoes. It is incompatible with empathy, compassion, diplomacy. A person is simply unable to imagine how others might feel.

With healthy egoism, a person loves himself in moderation, has good self-esteem, not overestimated or underestimated, and knows about his strengths and weaknesses. He does not need other people's praise, he does not try to achieve early recognition of his merits. Unhealthy egoism, on the contrary, pushes a person to... It forces you to constantly demand worship, it can cause humiliation of others, the desire to “sit on” at work, and slander people in order to appear better in comparison with them. To appear perfect in his own eyes, he will do anything.

Types of egoism: additional nuances

Healthy and unhealthy egoism are characterized by different options for building relationships with loved ones. As a rule, it is normal if both partners are equal and happy, they listen to each other’s opinions, respect other people’s interests, but do not forget about themselves. Unhealthy egoism does not allow the creation of such relationships. It is characterized by a person’s desire to subjugate loved ones, constant manipulation, pressure, blackmail.

Egocentrism can be short-lived and situational, while healthy egoism, as a rule, becomes one of the main character traits that persist for a long time, if not for life.

Another important detail that can help distinguish healthy selfishness from unhealthy: in the first case, a person can enjoy communication, while in the second he is proud that no one understands him. Self-centered people may consider themselves unusual, superior to everyone around them, even having a special mission. At the same time, oddly enough, they may suffer from painful self-esteem, considering themselves unfairly offended and deprived.

Altruism is untenable, says writer Peter Schwartz, emeritus member and former chairman of the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute. Following her philosophy of objectivism, Schwartz argues that rational selfishness will benefit society and business. “The Secret” selected from the manifesto in defense of selfishness the most striking moments that may resonate with many entrepreneurs.

In the shackles of altruism

Most of us in everyday life do not strive to be altruists and are not them. We live as we want, and not as we should, we constantly violate the code of altruism, but at the same time we consider it absolutely correct, without doubting it for a second. The laws of altruism are like shackles on our feet: with them we are unlikely to reach our cherished goal and will never become the new Bill Gates.

But let's turn our attention to Bill Gates himself. Before becoming a multi-billionaire, he worked hard. But what is he most proud of in the world? Not at all because he created an excellent line of products and opened up new horizons and colors of life for gadget users. In fact, today the main brainchild of Bill Gates is his charitable foundation. Gates encourages everyone to follow his example and become the same philanthropic knights. It turns out that, judging from a moral point of view, all profits from Microsoft are the result of selfish activities.

Most people who actively work for self-interest, although reluctantly, still agree with the statement that the haves should serve the have-nots. As before, self-sacrifice is considered the highest manifestation of humanism. We stubbornly continue to violate the commandments of altruism, but instead of slamming our fists on the table, we engage in self-flagellation. This is how believers sin and repent. We want to become like Bill Gates, but our moral ideal remains Mother Teresa. We are bound from head to toe by chains of guilt, and there are no stronger knots than those that we tie ourselves. The more we lament the fact that we do not live up to moral ideals, the tighter the noose of altruism tightens around our neck.

What is real selfishness

Proponents of altruism do not want egoists to be seen as just people minding their own business and not harming anyone. And although there is a huge distance between creators and destroyers, such as Warren Buffett, who makes money, and Bernard Madoff, who steals it, the boundaries are deliberately blurred. Altruists lead us by the nose, resorting to substitution of concepts.

Altruists call giving up today's pleasures for future benefits self-sacrifice. But if someone works hard to become an outstanding neurosurgeon or violinist, what does the sacrifice have to do with it? Absolutely nothing to do with it. On the contrary, planning your life in such a way as to get the maximum return in the future (both in the material and spiritual sense) means acting like a real rational egoist. Sacrificing a rook to take a queen is not a weak move, but, on the contrary, a very strong move.

Altruists do not see the difference between completely different actions. Investments in your own future (today you save a dollar in order to get two in the future) they call self-sacrifice. But this model of behavior is fundamentally different from a truly sacrificial act, when you give your two dollars forever, becoming “your brother’s keeper.”

A true egoist does not rush to fulfill his every unreasonable desire. It is in your best interest to be able to say “no” to your feelings and passions.

Personal interests are the engine of progress

Each unit of our wealth is the result of an exchange of goods between productive people. We buy bread from the baker, and a house from the developer. The employee receives a salary, the shareholder receives dividends. Self-interest motivates people to participate in the exchange of goods, becoming richer.

A conflict of interest cannot arise between reasonable people, because they live by general rules, not only understanding what personal interests are, but also knowing the genesis of this concept. Companies may compete for orders, those who want to get work - for vacancies, but reasonable egoists are well aware that competition is in their interests and that the losing party will not be a victim.

Competition is beneficial to us because thanks to it, the most worthy applicant gets the job. If someone has passed you by, it does not mean that something that belongs to you has been taken away from you. Yes, you lost, but you had the right to convince the employer that he needed you, and this right was not violated. The more successful applicant did not cause you any harm.

However, it happens differently. A person who is nothing of himself can claim that the top managers of Fortune 500 companies are violating his rights - because he would like to be in their place. He wants to earn as much as they do. Killer argument! And another slacker believes that the work itself should fall into his hands, as if vacancies grow on trees like pears. Going to interviews, filling out forms - all this is not for him, it infringes on his interests. But such people are directing their dissatisfaction to the wrong address. They live in a fantasy world, naively believing that their desire alone is enough to get what they want. But in addition to desire, there must also be a goal and means to achieve it.

Selfishness benefits society

If a city acquires land to create a park, it is in the public interest. And if a private person buys land to build a shopping center on it, his interests are not considered public. But why? Because in the first case, state resources are used, i.e. budget resources? It is unlikely that we will be satisfied with such an answer. On the contrary, the government spends money on the park precisely because it considers it useful to society, while the private shopping center does not. But both the city park and the shopping center serve the community equally. Why is a private cinema worse than a municipal library?

Another example. Any of us can go to a state museum or park our car in a private parking lot. Shopping malls, cinemas and parking lots are convenient and make our lives better. In terms of numbers, please tell me what is more valuable to society - Yellowstone (3 million visitors per year), Disney World (45 million visitors per year), the Bronx Zoo (2 million visitors per year) or the Mall of America in Minnesota (40 million buyers per year)? What criteria should be used to distinguish public from private interests? Is it really possible that when a person goes to Yellowstone he becomes part of society, but at Disneyland he becomes a private citizen?

What distinguishes one from the other? The method of providing a product or service. In the first case, the product or service is provided free of charge, in the second - for money. If a commercial organization charges customers a fee, it is pursuing its own private interests; if something is provided for free, it is about the good of society. But who pays for all these pleasures? Money doesn't come out of thin air. Everything has its price. This means that financial expenses fall on someone else’s shoulders and affect someone’s personal interests.

When it comes to “private”, it’s simple: you pay for what you need. For example, Disney World thrives because visitors come back again and again. The park meets the expectations of consumers of entertainment products. If someone doesn't like this type of holiday, they can go somewhere else and leave their money there. In this case, no one's interests will be harmed.

Altruists interfere with the free market

Champions of public interests are not interested in what people actually want. Parks and zoos are not only created for public benefit. Hiding behind this benefit, the state finds many other ways to interfere in our lives. Citizens are denied the right to decide for themselves what they need and what they don’t.

For example, self-service gas stations were banned in New Jersey, and in New York taxi drivers were required to install navigators in their salons. And all this, mind you, was done supposedly in the interests of society. Thank you for your concern, but perhaps some car owners would like to fill their tanks with gasoline themselves, and taxi drivers could do without navigators.

Producers and consumers are able to figure all this out themselves, without government intervention. If the demand is great enough (and entrepreneurs, unlike the state, cannot help but respond to market signals), some gas stations can provide a full package of services, while others can switch to self-service. If the gas station owner, who has invested time, money and labor into his business, and his regular customers prefer self-service, so be it. Every gas station that refuses self-service on the orders of an official is an example of the lack of opportunity for free choice.

In a free market, some taxi drivers will use navigators, while others will not, so as not to force passengers to pay for an additional service. Everyone gets not what he wants, and not what legislators impose on him, but what he is willing to pay for. Demand creates supply, one side satisfies the needs of the other.

Egoism gives the right to choose

Recognizing a person’s right to choose means agreeing that he is capable of independently building his life and that it belongs only to him. Altruists cannot agree with this: our lives should belong to others, and only these others have the right to decide when, how and how much we should sacrifice. We have no right to throw off the shackles. If the owner of a fitness club does not want a fat woman to work as an aerobics instructor, then, in accordance with our altruistic laws, the court will force him to yield. A person living “under the burden of obligations” is deprived of the right to choose. Only the collective has this right.

But the right is always individual: its bearer is an individual. There are no collective human rights. Right always refers to your life, your freedom and property, and your desire to find happiness.

The ideal system is capitalism

It is important to emphasize that when we talk about capitalism, we are not talking about the inefficient, overregulated and state-controlled system that the US economy has long become. This refers to a laissez faire system based on free competition and, like the Church, completely separated from the state.

On the one hand, in an ideal capitalist system, no one will allow the state to interfere with you. If you want to open a shoe shine stall, you don't have to buy a license. No one will force you to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to get permission to use your personal car as a taxi.

On the other hand, with such a system everyone finds themselves on equal terms. If you want to become a cable television provider, the government will not allow you to obtain a franchise over your competitors. Cattle breeders and gardeners will not have the right to demand that Washington increase import duties on meat and fruits. If you set out to build a stadium, no one will allow you to finance the construction by issuing government bonds. No company, no matter how much they declare their commitment to the “public interest,” should receive subsidies, grants, debt guarantees or subsidies from the state. Everyone must be responsible for themselves. The state does not have the right to use its resources and mechanisms to “pull out” or “sink” this or that project.

Capitalism is under massive attack precisely because of the most important principle inherent in it - justice. The more talented you are and the more efficient you are (as measured by free market signals), the higher your compensation. The salary of the CEO of a company can be 100 times higher than the salary of a humble janitor. But the manager does 100 times more for the prosperity of the company than the watchman. The latter may be short of money, but there is no injustice in this since the CEO gets paid in proportion to his contribution to the success of the company.

An entrepreneur must care about profit

Altruism denies the value of wealth, forcing producers to satisfy the needs of those who create nothing. But doesn't a profitable business benefit owners and customers? Altruism gives a negative answer to this question. After all, consumers only get what they pay for, and workers only get what the employer thinks they earned. This is a transaction, and altruists despise commodity-money relations - after all, people get only what they deserve, and nothing more. Altruists value only the free distribution of unearned benefits through making a sacrifice and accepting that sacrifice.

In fact, the best guarantee of product safety and high quality is precisely the concern for making a profit. Any self-respecting company does not increase its income in order to sell us unnecessary goods and immediately leave the market. High quality products are a necessary condition for business prosperity. The buyer must be satisfied - only then will he buy the product again, which means the company will grow and develop.

Any commercial enterprise values ​​its reputation, otherwise competitors would force it out of the market. The more strictly the buyer approaches issues of product quality and safety, the higher the bar. This is beneficial to the manufacturer, as it helps strengthen the company’s reputation. Under capitalism, only businesses designed for the long term thrive. If you try to take a shortcut to your goal, you will reap bitter fruits for a long time.

Be proud of your selfishness

We are all equal, they tell us. This means: we are all equally insignificant. No people are perfect, everyone has some kind of flaw. There are no heroes either, but only colossuses with feet of clay. Public figures constantly tell us to stop us from considering ourselves good. Is a successful entrepreneur proud of his fortune acquired through honest labor? He is told that he "owes a debt to society."

The attack on selfishness is gaining momentum, and altruists are doing everything to lower our self-esteem. Altruists do not want people to understand the main thing: self-respect can only be earned. It depends on our specific achievements.

Unlike self-sacrifice, which cannot be practiced constantly, personal interests can and should always be respected. Life requires us to always be reasonable. We should always cross the road when the light is green: if you hesitate even once, you could get hit by a car. We must always monitor our diet: just be careless once and you can get poisoned and die. We must always take care of our personal interests: the slightest negligence and you will be in a lot of trouble.

Don't apologize for your own selfishness. On the contrary, be proud of it. After all, you did not give your life and your inalienable right to happiness to anyone. You should be proud of your choice. You are not a slave, groveling before your master and giving up your own life. You are a person filled with self-esteem and who has made a choice in favor of life - the greatest value in the world.

Egoism is a human value system characterized by the predominance of personal needs in relation to the interests and needs of another person or social group. At the same time, satisfaction of one’s own interests is considered as the highest good. In psychological and ethical theories, selfishness is considered an innate property that must be overcome.

Theories of egoism

There are two main approaches to the problem of egoism:

• It is human nature to strive for pleasure, avoiding suffering;
• A person in his moral activity must follow personal interests.

Ancient philosophy expressed the idea that people are selfish from birth, and all morality should proceed from this. In defiance of feudal-Christian morality, which preached the rejection of worldly pleasures, French materialists argued, following Democritus and Epicurus, that morality is generated exclusively by the earthly interests of people.

The essence of the ethical concept of “reasonable egoism” was that people should satisfy their needs “reasonably”, then they will not contradict the interests of individuals and society as a whole, but, on the contrary, will serve them. By the end of the 19th century. this theory has degenerated into establishing the fundamental priority of personal needs over any others. In ordinary consciousness, reasonable egoism is the ability to live in one’s own interests, without neglecting the values ​​of the people around us, since this is short-sighted and unprofitable for one reason or another.

Social exchange theory argues in favor of selfishness, according to which people consciously or unconsciously want to receive the maximum possible reward at the minimum cost. From this theory it follows that any actions are committed for selfish reasons in order to receive optimal reward or avoid punishment. The implicit benefit that dictates seemingly altruistic actions is to gain social approval, increase self-esteem, and relieve anxiety or remorse. This approach to the problem of egoism does not take into account that the ultimate goal of the egoist is to improve his own situation, and the altruist’s is to care for another person. Phenomena such as unconditional love, compassion and empathy are either not taken into account or artificially fit into the Procrustean bed of the theory.

Since egoism is usually contrasted with altruism, there are a number of theories according to which egoism and arguments in its favor may lose force for various reasons. For example, the concept of social norms is based on the fact that providing assistance is associated with the existence in society of certain rules that force one to abandon selfish behavior in order to comply with them. The norm of reciprocity encourages a person to respond with good, not evil, to those who came to his aid. The norm of social responsibility requires caring for those who need it, regardless of the time spent and the gratitude received in return.

Selfishness often receives a negative assessment from society, and the conscious choice of such a behavior strategy is considered immoral. This quality is condemned at all levels: in philosophy, religion, government and in everyday life.

It is believed that selfishness begins to dominate if parenting tactics are aimed at consolidating inflated self-esteem and egocentrism. As a result, a strong orientation towards personal experiences, interests and needs is formed. Subsequently, selfishness and indifference to other people and their inner world can lead to loneliness, and the world around us will be perceived as hostile.

“You’re selfish,” my mother told me when I wanted to do something that I wanted, and not what she wanted. “You’re selfish,” the men said when I reminded that my interests existed in our relationship. “You’re selfish,” the boss said when I answered that I couldn’t stay late at work all the time, because I had another life besides it. .

How often can a reproach for selfishness actually be deciphered as “How come you don’t want to do what I want?” And it sounds from people who consider themselves to have the right to take, but have never learned to give. They become indignant whenever they are reminded that neither the world nor another person owes them anything. They are indignant and accuse - “the world is unfair”, “people are selfish”.

I am selfish, I take care of myself and my interests.

Taking care of yourself means saying “stop” to long monologues on the phone from people who are not part of the inner circle that has the right to my ears and time. I'd rather take a walk or sleep or read. My time is valuable. And someone else’s long monologue is interesting either from someone who is ready to hear mine or from the theater stage. And it all depends on the quality of execution

Taking care of myself means refusing meetings if they are scheduled without taking into account my plans and convenience. A meeting is something that all its participants need, which means that everyone’s plans must be taken into account. There are a number of people who have the right to make appointments unilaterally. But we are not talking about a subpoena in this case.

Taking care of yourself means “No” to all online acquaintances from other time zones who want to communicate with me at night because it’s morning or afternoon for them. For normal functioning of the day, I need healthy sleep and rest. Or be prepared to look for a convenient time on weekends or alternate my nightly lack of sleep with yours.

Taking care of yourself means using energy sparingly, balancing the costs of obtaining the result and the result itself. Refuse to do things where the returns are less than the costs. Refuse from people who “suck” my energy with their endless whining, complaints, and anger.

Taking care of yourself means eating good food, whether it's prepared at home or in a restaurant. If I need to grab a bite to eat in the city between work, I go to a restaurant, not the nearest McDonald's or supermarket deli. If I eat at home, I cook myself delicious and fresh food from fresh ingredients. “How are you not too lazy to cook for yourself?” or “Do you feel sorry for the time spent walking around the market looking for vegetables from your “grandmother”?” ask “non-selfish people.” “I’m not lazy and I’m not sorry,” I answer and think about how these people live, for whom they cook and why, if they don’t consider it important to take care of their own health.