Self-centered

“Who has never put their own interests before anything else?” asked Eklea, the Shape of Awareness, to the audience attending her class.

No one dared to raise a hand.

“Oh, today’s class is quite conscious of its own behavior, isn’t it?” Eklea continued, a little surprised and pleased.

“But you’re all right—we have all been self-centered at one point or another, sometimes willingly, sometimes without even noticing it.”

“It can happen with people we don’t really appreciate or know, but it also happens with our loved ones and family! Isn’t it a bit paradoxical?”

“But being aware can help us counter this kind of extremely selfish behavior, which disregards the surrounding circumstances and acts only for one’s own convenience.”

“But isn’t it kind of natural to care about ourselves before anything else?” asked a young Esper.

“Yes, it is. But when we have developed the StarDust we all carry within us, we can better understand when we are being selfish. Our natural behavior isn’t always the path to follow, because while it can benefit us for a while, it can harm the planet or the ones we love, without us even realizing it.”