Self-Interest and Self-Indulgence

One is 'first' to oneself in one's field of experience by virtue of one's Motility, i. e. one's capacity to initiate one's movements. Accordingly, others are 'second', 'third', etc. by virtue of one's Motility promoting theirs. Hence, one's self-interests are 'first' to oneself only insofar as they conduce to one's Motility, e. g. eating in order to energize oneself. On that basis, Self-Interest that does not conduce to one's Motility is Self-Indulgence, and, therefore, has no privileged status as 'first' among interests. So, an argument for a healthy 'Selfishness' would be that benefiting others requires first benefiting oneself, e. g. a well-fed person can benefit others more effectively than a hungry one can. In contrast, the common rhetoric that one should attend exclusively to one's own wishes is a promotion of Self-Indulgence.