Everyone is selfish. We do things that increase our chances of survival, help us achieve our goals and give us a story we can tell ourselves about our role in the community.
But short-term selfish is something we try to grow out of.
Short-term selfish runs a red light because we’re in a hurry. It dumps waste into the river because it’s cheaper than disposing of it properly. It cheats in order to win.
But none of these things help us reach our long-term goals. None of them are resilient or reliable, because when others also play the short-term game, we all lose.
Short-term selfish is against the minimum wage, while long-term leaders understand how much value it creates over time. And long-term selfish seeks an environment where we’re most likely to thrive.