 The reason behind why humans behave selfishly generally falls into two camps, those who believe that selfishness is an inherent part of human nature and those who think it's a chosen behavior. Either way, understanding our tendencies towards self-centeredness can help us make more conscious choices, improve our relationships and build a better world. After all, we all have a bit of selfishness in us, so it's worth delving into its origins. Originally, the humanist side of egoism said that there was more to human choices than selfish, ambition-dominated popular opinion. However, in the late 20th and early 21st century, the idea of self-centered behavior became more pervasive. Ego-centric theory traces back to Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, which argued that humans are inherently selfish, but it was economic principles explained in The Wealth of Nations that furthered and cemented the idea into the modern psyche. Published in 1776 by Scottish economist Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations introduced us to pillars of modern economic practices. It also introduced the idea that economic and general social welfare is created when merchants act out of self-interest. Modern commerce is not founded on kindness, but rather on the need to supply necessities that are more advantageous. Usually, these choices benefit the supplier more than the buyer. His theory, coupled with Charles Darwin's famous theory of choice evolution, shaped modern economy and society into what we know now, through a clinical and purely economic lens. One can assume and assert that humans are, in fact, completely selfish. We are motivated by ambition and self-preservation. Take, for example, the prisoner's dilemma. Two prisoners, accused of crimes, are placed in different rooms and told. If neither confesses, both will serve light sentences. Three years. If one confesses, while the other remains silent, the one who confesses will go home, while the other will serve a heavy sentence. Ten years. And if both confess, both get moderate sentences. Five years. Neither prisoner has an idea what the other prisoner will do. What would you do in that situation? At first impulse, many people would outright confess not realizing that they could possibly end up with a five-year sentence. But after further study, researchers noted that a pattern emerged when repeated players were paired. Tit for tat, or more eloquently said, quid pro quo. It was advantageous to collaborate and work together among repeated pairs of players up to a certain point. The same behavior is observed in post-apocalyptic movies. A band of misfits come together to fight off zombies until the group splits up. However, the question isn't how selfish our human beings, but rather, why. Why do we act selfishly and is it more advantageous to be selfish? What do you think? Psychologically speaking, selfishness is a perceived behavior in ourselves or others that arises when we detect a situation-specific desire to benefit the self and disregard others' desire. When looking through this framework, we can understand that selfishness is a perceived act. It is a quick judgment based on a perceived cost-benefit analysis of a situation. If you take advantage of the situation, you are perceived as selfish and if you don't, you're perceived to be selfless. Although society encourages egocentric behaviors, biology and psychology shows otherwise. Many of your choices are not just created within your rational mind. Many are shaped by your sociocultural sphere. Your background, culture, friends, personal experiences and home environment, but your brain structure also influences them. The neuroplasticity of the brain as well as its reward center can influence how selfish or selfless our choices are. Researchers Son and Gash found that the neural wiring for emotional processing differentiates a psychopath from an altruist or selfless person. Choices and behaviors, selfishness or selflessness, are created in the pro-social brain. These behaviors are learned through observation, ingrained as part of who we are and changed depending on who is on the receiving end. For example, people tend to extend altruism towards those who are closer to them, kin or like friends. Interestingly enough, altruistic behaviors were born out of a need to survive. The survival and success of large groups depended on the selflessness of each member. Additionally, our own biology encourages these kinds of behaviors by releasing oxytocin to ensure repetition of that behavior. So how can we distinguish selflessness and selfishness? The key is to understand psychopathy. Dysfunction of emotional processing is a defining characteristic of psychopathy. Studies have shown that psychopaths lack the ability to recognize emotions in others, especially emotions like distress and fear. This muted effect towards human emotions is what can drive selfish behavior. The neural network and wiring for emotional processing is often dysfunctional in psychopaths, hence selfish behavior. Our understanding of psychopathy along with neural and genetic factors can help us understand why humans are selfish. Additionally, various studies add more factors to why we humans are selfish. One study points to a genetic variation of the oxytocin receptor gene, while another study highlights the role volume of the anterior cortex. This neurological framework allows us to further understand that empathy and being able to recognize emotions in others is a key factor as to whether we behave selfishly or selflessly. Altruism and egoism depend on the level of empathy a person has. Although society encourages egotistical behaviors in the way that it celebrates billionaires and materialism, many of us are wired to be altruists, because evolution has shown us that group cooperation ensures arrival and success. So the real question is, why doesn't society commend altruism? What do you think? Are we all more selfish or selfless? And which one is better? Comment below.