...I really think your definition of selfish, and what we're suggesting for Dex, are not the same. That's not selfish, first of all--or at least self-centrism. It's called acknowledging what you've got, and asking others for help.
...For some reason you take this as being selfish. ._.
Think of this from our perspective: {Random person} goes and asks for help > Why do we pop in and help?
Some do it because they've suffered through the same and people helped them out.
Some do it because of a motive or intent.
Some do it because they just want to help, with nothing ulterior.
...Where I see it, Rolep, 'selfish' is very out of place there. It's not that 'nobody cares that you're being selfish!' because that still carries the idea that the act in itself carries a notion of being selfish--but that people care about the bloody well-being of others.
And being self-aware and seeking aid for it is a better choice of words.
Couple Answers for this:
A. No, I just don't innately attach a negative connotation to the word selfish. In it's most general sense, Selfish means doing things for oneself. It doesn't have to mean 'at the expense of others'.
B. Not the point. I used that because whenever I feel like shit, and from my experience trying to help others not feel like shit, saying 'you're not being selfish' doesn't work. Because they already believe they are and just saying that doesn't really change anything. It's just the way the brain works. At least from my experience. But if you say 'it's alright to be selfish, sometimes', that's different. It's also true; you have to focus on yourself, and make sure you are okay, before you can do anything else, really. And so it's okay to be 'selfish' in that manner. EDIT: Additionally, people who are depressed typically place a great deal of emphasis on other people's perceptions of them, because they think that their own perceptions of themselves are worthless and/or have very negative perceptions of themselves, so being told "It is alright to do this thing" can be an important step. And yes maybe this is undoing everything I've been trying to help Dex with by explaining it, but explaining it doesn't anything I've said before any less true.
So, Tiruin, can you not get picky about the words I choose in order to try and help people feel better, as long as they work? I tend to choose my words very carefully, on these forums, when I can. I don't view selfish as bad. Selfish is inevitable. Nobody actually does anything truly selfless; they can do things that are far more selfless than selfish, but every action has some token amount of self-serving motivation behind it, even if it's just 'I like helping people'. Because I, personally, do. I hate seeing people in distress. I hate that there are people in distress. Because of this, I help people. It's not usually considered an ulterior motivation because there's no visceral or material reward, there's just the warm fuzzies type of thing. And it doesn't make it less of a good thing to do, or make them any worse of a person, because that's not the part that matters.
And my entire goal in life, what I'm planning on studying for, is in order to help others. I have gotten myself in trouble on multiple occasions for helping people when I was supposed to be doing something else. I have issues with not at least trying to help people if I know they're in trouble, even when it's useless. So please, Tiruin, consider in what context and for what purpose I was using the word, rather than jumping on my word choice and trying to pick it apart as if I was accusing Dex.