Selfishness and happiness

> Each of us is born with a series of built-in confusions that are probably somehow Darwinian. These are: (1) we’re central to the universe…(2) we’re separate from the universe…and (3) we’re permanent. Now, we don’t really believe these things – intellectually we know better – but we believe them viscerally, and live by them, and they cause us to prioritize our own needs over the needs of others, even though what we really want, in our hearts, is to be less selfish, more aware of what’s actually happening in the present moment, more open, and more loving…

> And so, a prediction, and my heartfelt wish for you: as you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love. YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE. If you have kids, that will be a huge moment in your process of self-diminishment. You really won’t care what happens to YOU, as long as they benefit.

[A lovely and probably quite surprising graduation speech by writer George Saunders](http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/george-saunderss-advice-to-graduates/). The most interesting part of becoming a parent to me was certainly how explicit the choice was between my (continued) selfishness and their happiness.