Phakathi namashumi eminyaka eminyaka ngaphambi kwethu, izingcaphuno zabacwaningi abakhulu kakhulu mayelana nobugovu bafinyelela. Futhi, naphezu kwezinguquko ezenzeka emhlabeni wethu, amazwi amafilosofi yasendulo ahlala efanelekile. Isibonelo, isingcaphuno sobugovu esivela ku-Aristotle, umcabango omkhulu, owayekholelwa ukuthi i-egoism ayikho ekuthandeni, kodwa ngokukhulu kunalokho kufanele, izinga lalo thando. Imfundiso ye-egoism iqukethe ukuphikisana okuningi. Abanye abantu bacabanga ukuthi ubugovu buyingxenye yobuhle, ikhwalithi edingekayo yokufeza injabulo, abanye bakholelwa ukuthi ubugovu buletha ukubhujiswa kwangaphakathi kuphela. Lokhu kuphikisana kungalandelwa ngokucacile ekucaphunweni nasezinhlakeni eziphathelene ne-egoism. U-Epictetus wabhala ukuthi ukwenza konke ngokwakho akusho ukwenza ngokumelene nenzuzo evamile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uThackeray wayekholelwa ukuthi kuzo zonke izinto ezihlambalaza umuntu, ubugovu bububi kakhulu futhi budelelekile. Ukungqubuzana komqondo we-egoism kugcizelelwe lapho i-aphorism ka-Ambrose Bierce: "I-egoist yindoda enomusa omuhle, inesithakazelo esikhulu kuye kunokuba nami." Futhi nansi isicatshi mayelana nobugovu baseJermolova, lapho umuda phakathi kokuhleleka kwe-egoism kanye nokuzithanda okulimazayo kulandelwa: "Wonke umuntu wenza konke ngenxa yakhe. Okuwukuphela kwezindleko zabo kwabanye futhi kungenjalo abafuni, kanti abanye ngokwabo ngezindleko zabanye futhi kungenjalo bangakwazi. "
"Unempilo" futhi "ugula" ubugovu
Ama-aphorisms awavezi nje kuphela okuyisisekelo sobugovu, abuye agcizelele inani elikhulu lezincazelo esizibeka emcabangweni wobugovu. Lo mbuzo udlala indima enkulu kulo lonke impilo yethu. Ukulawula imibono yobugovu nokuzidela, ungabhubhisa ubuntu noma ubangele ukumelana nokucindezela kwakhe "I", futhi uzuze ngokuphelele umphumela ohlukile. Kusukela ebuntwaneni sifundiswa ukuthi ubugovu kuyisimo esibi, futhi isimo somuntu sinempahla enjengokwesaba ukubonakala kubi emehlweni abantu. Ngakho, ithuluzi lokuxhaphaza lilungele. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu wenza lokho abafuna kuye, noma ubizwa ngokuthi i-egoist. Ingane isheshe iqonde indlela yokwenza izinto ezinjalo, futhi kuye ngokuthi yiziphi izimfanelo zakhe, iba ngumuntu ohlukumezayo noma isisulu. Ukukhula, uyaqhubeka nokuziphatha ngokuhambisana nomkhuba wokuziphatha othuthukile ebuntwaneni bakhe. Ngokusekelwe emibhalweni ebekelelwe yakha ubuhlobo emndenini, efundisa izingane ngendlela efanele. Kodwa kuthiwani ekupheleni? Uma ingane iba umqaphi, khona-ke umbuzo we-egoism eyonakalisayo. Ufeza imigomo yakhe ngokusebenzisa abanye, kodwa engakhathaleli konke ngesimo sabo sengqondo mayelana nezenzo zakhe. Abantu abanjalo abanakho imikhawulo yobugovu, abakhathazeki ngemizwa yabathandekayo, futhi ngenxa yalokho bahlala bodwa noma bezungezwe abantu abazondayo. Uma ingane ithatha indima yomuntu ohlukunyeziwe, ngakho-ke kaningi kaningi iba i-altruist, kodwa hhayi ngenxa yothando lomakhelwane bakhe, kodwa ngenxa yokwesaba ukubangela ukungavumelani. Abantu abanjalo bangena kwinethiwekhi yabasebenzisa abantu, futhi basebenzisa ukuphila kwabo emzabalazweni oqhubekayo phakathi kwemizwa yecala abayitshala kalula, futhi bazama ukucindezela ubuntu babo. Abantu abanjalo bangazithobela ezandleni zabasebenzi, kepha bangena emphakathini lapho kungekho muntu ozama ukuwalawula, bazama ukuzivikela ngokucophelela, bathukuthele futhi bahlukumezeke.
Ngakho kukhona into enjenge-egoism enempilo yomuntu. Ubugovu obunjalo bubonisa uthando nokuzikhathalela wena, kodwa ukuqonda nokuhlonipha abanye. Ama-egoist anjalo angeke enze lutho ukujabulisa umlawuli wezinkampani, kepha uma ebona kuyadingeka, bazosiza ngobuqotho ngaphandle kokulinda imvume futhi ngaphandle kokwesaba ukusola. I-egoism ephilile iyahambisana nokuzidela, kodwa akuyona into ehambisana nomhlatshelo, okuletha ukubhujiswa kwangaphakathi. Ukuziphendulela "isisulu" kusho ukukhungatheka nokuhlupheka ngenxa yabanye. Ukungafani kwe-egoist enempilo kuveza izenzo ezimnandi wena nabanye. I-egoist enempilo ingaba ngumuntu ohlukumezayo kanye nesisulu, kodwa kuphela uma bebona ukwehla kwesimo sokuziphatha esamukelwe ngaphambili. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubonakaliswa kwe-egoism emadodeni nakwabesifazane kuhlukile, futhi ngenxa yalokho, izindlela zokulwa nobugovu zizohluka. Qonda,
Ungaqedi ngokuphelele ubugovu. Impilo yobugovu iyadingeka kumuntu ngokuphila okugcwele nokufeza imigomo yakhe. Ukuze uvikele ukukhetha kwakho nombono wakho, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo ukuhlonipha futhi uqaphele umbono kanye nokukhetha kwabanye abantu kuyisici esivelele se-egoism enengqondo.