評論
打印
Other beliefs are held through self-interest. Modern psychology leaves us no room for doubt on this point. We adopt and cling to some beliefs because—or partly because—it "pays" us to do so. But, as a rule, the person concerned is about the last person in the world to be able to recognize this in himself. Indeed, he would probably be highly indignant if told of what anyone familiar with modern psychology can recognize so plainly. It would be quite wrong to attribute all opinions—even political opinions—to self-interest. But it would be equally wrong to deny that this is one potent factor.
人們持有其他觀點是出于利己之心。現代心理學使我們對這一點深信不疑。我們接受并且堅持某些觀點是因為--或者部分是因為--這樣做可以讓我們“獲益”。不過，一般說來出于利己之心持有某種觀點的人大概是世上最不可能在自己身上意識到這一點的人。實際上，如果有人告訴他，住何熟悉現代心理學的人都能夠清楚地看出這一點，他可能會十分憤慨。將所有的觀點--甚至政治觀點--都歸因于利己主義是相當錯誤的。但是，否認自身利益是一個有力因素同樣也是錯誤的。
"Self-interest" is to be understood first in the ordinary sense, as referring to a man's way of earning his livelihood and acquiring wealth. But we may extend the term to cover also his interest in social position; popularity with his fellows; the respect and goodwill of those whose respect and goodwill he values. It covers his interest in his own career; in whatever prestige he enjoys as one of the leaders—or at least as a valued supporter—of some movement or institution, some religious body, some other kind of society or group. There is many a man who is unconsciously compelled to cling to a belief because he is a "somebody" in some circle—and if he were to abandon that belief, he would find himself nobody at all.
從一般意義上講，“利己”首先應該理解為一個人謀生、獲取財富的一種方式。但是我們可以把這個詞的意思引申到一個人對社會地位的興趣；受伙伴歡迎的程度；以及來自他所重視的人的尊重與友善。利己還包括一個人對自己事業的興趣，以及作為某運動或機構，某個宗教團體、某個其他社團或群體的領導者之一--或者至少是作為一位受重視的支持者--而享有的聲望。有許多人無意識地被迫堅持某種觀點，因為他在某個圈子里是個“重要人物”--如果他一旦摒棄那個觀點，他就會發現自己不過是一個無名之輩。
