Sigmund Freud's portrayal of human nature as animalistic and dark has implied that inherently the strongest motivating factor of human nature is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Further if there were no societal boundaries, rules and regulations (Superego) we would pursue whatever was on our own interest (selfish desires and wishes) and would overlook or would not care for others wishes and wants and even the implications of our behavior on others life.

Further if we analyze human nature in the same line and in a more extreme way, as many times I hear from my fellow colleagues who are curious about the questions we are raising here, it can be argued that a mother breastfeeds her child to quench her motherly instinct of grooming and there are many mothers who abandon or even kill their children immediately after birth. A father raises his children with a desire that they will look after him when he is old. Female infanticide and killing of daughters in the womb is a burning issue in countries like India, Nepal etc.

We fight and kill others, examples are great wars of the world, to attain what we desire.

I am well aware that virtually every human behavior can be interpreted in a way that when executed fulfills some or many of his or her inner selfish desire and motive.

However at the other end there is the concept of Altruism which we all are aware of.

I might be sounding a bit of cynical but my basic (selfish) interest and request here is to receive the opinions of our fellow colleagues as to how you see and how important do you find the concept of selfishness as being a strong motivator of human behavior.