CMV: Selfish has now become an overused word, and not even used proper.

People want to use the word "selfish" as a "knockout punch" to win an argument. People think that if you call someone "selfish," then that must mean you have the moral high ground ergo you win the argument. Sorry, it don't work like that.

Miriam-Webster defines "selfish" as "(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure."

Sorry, but there are 8 billion people in this world. You want all of my actions and motives to consider all 8 billion people? Ain't happening.

The way I see it, every living organism on planet earth makes decisions that chiefly benefits themselves. It's only when you do something that benefits yourself at someone else's expense is it selfish. Even then, just because it benefits me at your inconvenience doesn't make it selfish. If I am ACTIVELY TAKING AWAY FROM YOU TO FULFILL A DECISION THAT BENEFITS MYSELF, then that's considered "at your expense" ergo selfish.

I want to watch family feud but I'm upset because the news interrupted it? Not selfish

I lay off my best employees to save enough money to buy a vacation home? Selfish.

The word encroached on "overused" territory at the start of the pandemic, and it's painfully obvious to see.

When we started to get locked down, there were people who were for it and people who were against it. Initially, we were all for it, but after the two weeks, people started to become against it, and for good reason. They wanted to go to a sporting event, go to the bar, hang out with their people not via FaceTime or Zoom. The pro-lockdown crowd started calling the anti-lockdown crowd "seflish."

The anti-lockdowners are selfish because they refused to sacrifice their liberties to cater to the pro-lockdown crowd's fears.

The anti-lockdown crowd is not doing anything at the expense of the pro-lockdown crowd. If you want to stay home, stay home, just don't coerce me to stay home too when I want to live my life.

If you're forcing people to cater to your fears at the expense of my social life, my sanity, my job, MY RIGHTS, then MAYBE YOU are the selfish one.