What is self-interest? This is profit, material benefit. Also, this word can mean a character trait. What synonym for the word self-interest can be picked up?
Overall value
To the question of what self-interest is, Vladimir Dahl answered as follows: passion for life, gain, greed for money, covetousness, greed for lucre. By this word you can also understand the benefits, benefits or profits.
In folklore, there are many proverbs that answer the question of what self-interest is. According to one of them, one cannot trade without this character trait. According to another, self-interest, if it is not righteous, does not go for the future. However, what is righteous self-interest? Does she exist? Can the concept of “self-interest” have a positive connotation?
Synonyms
You can replace nouns such as greed, mercantile spirit, greed, money-grubbing the concept of "self-interest". The meaning of the word in modern Russian is somewhat different from the semantic meaning that it had one hundred to two hundred years ago. Earlier, in common parlance, the concept of “self-interest” was often used in relation to the case. The meaning of the word in this case did not have a negative connotation. A self-serving business was called an occupation that generates income. Synonyms for the adjective in this meaning - profitable, profitable, giving profits.
If it was said about a person that he lives not selfishly, but poorly, then it was understood that he was excessively wasteful. The board “not selfish, but not offensive” can be applied to the company, which did not bring any benefit, but did not cause harm. Synonyms for an adverb formed from the word whose meaning this article is devoted to is useful, beneficial, good.
Self-interest is a word that was also used earlier in the meaning of growth, percent. The following are verbs formed from this word, adjectives. But most of them are not used in modern speech.
Related words
A selfish man was called a man obsessed with a passion for wealth. This word is also used in relation to someone who is illegible in the means of obtaining profit. Selfish means pursuing mercantile goals. And finally, self-serving - to receive benefits. Other root words: greed, greedy, greedy. These nouns are listed in the Dahl dictionary. In modern speech, they can hardly be appropriate. Of all the above words, today there are only two verbal and written uses - mercenary, self-interest.
Antonyms
The concepts that are opposite in meaning to the phrase “mercenary man” are disinterested, altruist, disinterested person. Examples:
- The poet strove to seem unemotional, and therefore avoided all sorts of situations that could convict a greedy lover in him.
- Altrust is a person who acts for the benefit of others without pursuing selfish ends.
Sayings of the great
Self-interest is a human vice. A lot has been said about it by writers, philosophers and poets. The ancient Greek politician Chilon argued that any punishment is better than vile greed. After all, the first can only upset once. Self-interest is forever.
Another ancient sage, Sallust, believed that selfishness deprives people of their most cherished feelings. Namely, love for homeland, family, desire for kindness and purity.
Persian poet Rumi Jalalleddin was sure that self-interest lives in the soul of every person. She, like other vices, is alien only to the slave of love. Fonvizin said a lot about this property of character, as a vile human vice. But, like Jalaleddin, the writer argued that love is stronger than self-interest.
Chinese philosopher Hun Zichen recommended getting rid of selfish thoughts. From their appearance, knowledge turns into recklessness, hardness - cowardice, and purity - depravity. But Voltaire did not consider self-interest as the most terrible human vice. More crimes, according to the French writer, are capable of violent jealousy.
We can say that with every century people are more and more favorably disposed to greed. Margaret Mitchell, for example, advised not to confuse this vice with such a positive character trait as foresight. However, the American writer (or her heroine) admitted that this is one and the same. John Kennedy argued that selfless people live only by illusions, while selfish people have much more opportunities. After all, they have money, and you can buy almost everything on them, including illusions.