[GuyOnTilt]

I got in a big discussion once with some friends over dinner about this. We were specifically talking about the choice to have a child, and somehow the concept of selfishness got thrown in there. I played the role of cynic versus the rest of the table and contended that choosing to have a child was definitely a selfish act, while acknowledging that being rooted in selfishness does not necessarily a bad thing make. That was about the time they all jumped down my throat loudly and simultaneously.

I'm smart enough to know I can't speak for humanity. But as for myself... I'm a pretty nice guy. I'm caring to others, I try at every reasonable opportunity to look out for strangers and friends before myself, and I give generously. But if I'm truly honest with myself, the most basic motive behind virtually every decision I make - from choosing what clothes I wear and what food I eat, to buying a gift for a friend, taking a homeless kid out to coffee, or giving an anonymous check to a family I know is struggling - boils down to one thing: Because I like the way it makes me feel. And if it's not that, it's something very similar and equally self-serving. I've come to accept that though; I'm okay with it.

GoT