We Can’t Keep Living in a World of Selfishness and Capitalism

We are living in a time when selfishness is not just a bad habit—it’s become a way of life. Everything around us teaches us to focus on ourselves first. Social media tells us to “secure the bag,” “protect your peace,” and chase status and money at all costs. The system we live under—capitalism—pushes this even harder. It’s a system built on the idea that more is never enough and that success is measured by what you have, not who you are. I believe this way of thinking is not only wrong, it’s dangerous.

Before I go further, let’s be clear about what capitalism is. Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals or businesses own things like factories, stores, and land—and they use these things to make money. The main goal of capitalism is profit. In simple terms, it’s a system that puts money first and people second. It rewards competition over cooperation and measures success by wealth instead of well-being.

When we live in a world where selfishness is normal, we start to lose sight of what really matters: people. Relationships, community, and love get pushed to the side because we’re too busy climbing ladders that don’t even lead anywhere worth going. We see it every day—families torn apart over money, neighborhoods destroyed because of greed, and people stepping on each other just to get ahead. And for what? So a few at the top can keep getting richer while everyone else struggles to survive?

Capitalism teaches us that our worth is tied to what we can produce. If you’re not making money or “adding value” in some way, the world acts like you don’t matter. That’s why so many people who are poor, elderly, disabled, or formerly incarcerated feel invisible. It’s like they don’t count because they don’t fit the mold of what society calls “successful.” But let me be clear: every person has value. Every life matters, no matter their status or bank account.

This system also teaches us to be individualistic. We’re told that if we just work hard enough, we’ll succeed—and if we don’t, it’s our own fault. But that’s a lie. The truth is, the system is rigged from the start. Some people are born into privilege, while others are fighting uphill battles their whole lives. Instead of blaming people for their struggles, we should be working to lift each other up.

God calls us to bear one another’s burdens and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s the opposite of selfishness. That’s community. That’s real love in action. Imagine if we actually lived that way—if we looked out for each other, shared what we had, and built systems that cared for the vulnerable instead of crushing them.

I’m not saying money doesn’t matter or that people shouldn’t work hard. But money should never come before people. Success should never come at the cost of someone else’s suffering. We need a new way of thinking, one that puts love, justice, and community first. The world can’t keep spinning the way it is. We are seeing the results of selfishness and greed all around us—division, violence, poverty, and pain.

It’s time to choose something better. A world where we care more about each other than we do about profit. A world where we remember that we belong to one another. That’s the kind of world I want to live in.