In ancient times, philosophers like Aristotle argued that humans are social beings by nature. This means that human beings could not survive on their own, and that to thrive as a species, we need to be part of a community. From this perspective, each person, individually, is insignificant, but by being part of a community, they gain value as a component that helps sustain society.
For Aristotle, a “good” man is one who is interested in doing good for others. And community is seen as a necessity to ensure survival.
Later, Christianity introduced a much broader understanding of the concept of community, giving individuals a deeper sense of belonging and connection than just being a “piece” whose value is only evident as part of the role they play within a group of individuals.
For Christianity, the ancient concept of community evolved into a deeper notion of communion. It is no longer simply about coexisting within a functional society, but about actively participating in a shared life marked by love, service, and mutual responsibility.
In fact, in his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul strongly emphasizes the importance of rejecting selfish behavior and living with humility, considering others as better than oneself.
In Philippians 2:3-4 the apostle Paul writes the following:
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT)
These words of Paul are very significant when considering the multicultural context of the city of Philippi. This city was an important commercial center of the Roman Empire, where people of different origins, cultures, and worldviews lived together. However, amidst these differences, Paul wants to convey to this church that unity can only be sustained when believers abandon selfishness and learn to genuinely care for one another, regardless of their social and cultural differences.
Therefore, for Christianity, individualism and selfishness are not virtues, but threats against communion.
Selfishness creates division because it turns the individual inward, leading him to prioritize exclusively his personal needs, desires, and interests.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther would use the Latin expression incurvatus in se (“turned inwards”) to describe the natural selfish condition of the human heart.
According to Luther, human beings tend to live turned inward, focused primarily on their own desires, interests, and concerns. This is precisely what Paul warns the church in Philippi against.
So, from this perspective, selfishness is not limited to an arrogant or egocentric attitude but represents a spiritual inability of the sinful human being to look outwards, towards others.
Individuals who are incurvatus in se, as Luther would call them, naturally tend to interpret reality solely from the perspective of what directly affects their personal well-being. Consequently, the pain, injustice, or needs of others cease to be considered important as long as they do not disrupt their own comfort.
And the truth is, this trend is still something we grapple with today in many different ways. We live in cultures that constantly push us to put ourselves at the center of everything in our lives, promoting a mindset where the suffering of others only seems to matter to us when it interferes with our own comfort.
Following this logic, an expression came to mind that sparked my desire to address this topic. Without going into details, a few days ago, I witnessed an argument between two Christians that led me to think about this phrase:
“If it doesn’t affect me, I don’t care.”
Although it’s an expression that people might not say out loud, I believe it’s a way of thinking that has the potential to determine many of the positions we take on various topics (even trivial topics like the one that started that discussion).
For example, indifference towards poverty as long as it does not affect our own stability; the ease with which we ignore conflicts, injustices or tragedies that occur far from our environment; and even the way in which we often reduce the value of other people based on what they can or cannot contribute to us.
It can also be seen in smaller, everyday situations, when the pain of others bothers us more than it actually worries us, when we prefer our comfort to getting involved in someone else’s problem, or even when another person’s need becomes a nuisance because it disrupts our own plans.
In cultures that have become increasingly individualistic, the suffering of others easily ceases to be perceived as a collective responsibility and begins to be seen as someone else’s problem that “is not ours.”
In other words: “If it doesn’t affect me, it’s not my problem.”
A very clear example of this attitude can be seen in the story of the prophet Jonah found in the Bible.
When God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh to announce His judgment upon them, Jonah initially refuses to go, even going so far as to disobey God and try to flee from His will. However, when he finally goes and does what God commanded him to do, the people of Nineveh repent, and God decides to show them mercy.
After this happens, Jonah’s reaction to this situation shows us what was really in his heart.
Jonah 4:1 says:
“This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.” (Jonah 4:1 NLT)
Jonah became angry because the people of Nineveh repented and God showed them mercy.
How selfish, right?
For him, the destruction of Nineveh wasn’t his problem because it didn’t affect him at all. His “real” problem was that, perhaps, God had changed his plans.
If you think about it, it’s as if Jonah was comfortable knowing that God was going to destroy thousands of people. He was more concerned with his own desires and his own definition of justice than with the lives of thousands of people.
In fact, in chapter 4 we can see the level of selfishness of Jonah that even God confronts him by comparing his concern for a plant with his indifference towards the entire city of Nineveh.
Jonah was more concerned about the loss of a plant that sheltered him from the sun and provided him with comfort than about the possibility of the destruction of thousands of lives.
In fact, let’s look at the last thing we are told in the book:
“Then God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?’ ‘Yes,’ Jonah retorted, ‘even angry enough to die!’ Then the Lord said, ‘You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?’” (Jonah 4:9-11 NLT)
The book ends with that question. And I personally think that the question isn’t just for Jonah, but for us too.
Because this level of selfishness is a reality that remains to this day.
Like Jonah, many of us also have no problem with the suffering of others as long as it remains far enough away from us that it does not affect our comfort.
Often, we grieve more for the loss of something that benefits only us than for the pain of people we’ve never met and may never meet. We worry more about things that threaten our plans, our well-being, or our stability than about the injustice, need, or suffering of those around us.
And that is why selfishness is one of the most dangerous problems facing the church today. Because it has become a form of “idolatry of self,” making us think that the world revolves around us, that our own comfort is more important than the collective well-being, and that unless something directly affects our lives, it doesn’t really deserve our attention.
However, the Gospel directs us in the opposite direction.
While selfishness leads us to turn inward and concern ourselves only with what affects us, Christ calls us to turn outward. Christ calls us to love our neighbor, to serve one another, to share our burdens. The Gospel even presents the radical idea of seeing others as better than ourselves. This is the kind of love and fellowship that is seen as evidence of what it means to be Christian.
The Gospel calls us to abandon a life centered solely on ourselves and learn to love and serve others, even when their struggles and suffering do not affect us directly.
That’s what Jesus taught us. And what Paul constantly reminded the churches he planted.
Again, in Philippians 2:5-8 he writes to them:
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NLT)
Basically, the Gospel shows us that God himself was willing to get involved in the suffering of others.
God did not look at human suffering and say, “It’s not my problem.” Rather, He became man, humbled himself, bore our sins, and suffered for us.
While we turn inward, as Luther said, Christ gave himself completely for us. While we seek our own comfort, he relinquished his glory. And that is why, as Christians, the phrase “if it doesn’t affect me, I don’t care” should not be an option.
Because it wasn’t an option for Jesus.
If this Pensamiento resonated with you or blessed you in any way, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Also, if you’re going through something and need prayer, please feel free to send me a private message.
If anything you read blesses you, encourages you, or draws you closer to Jesus, then my work was worthwhile. But if you’d like to support me in continuing to write, you can buy me a coffee. Your help allows me to keep creating and sharing these reflections. God bless you!
This is so amazing. Such an important message! Thank you for sharing.
What an article!!! This was so powerful. I’ve been so burdened lately by the apathy towards the suffering of others how easily we can become comfortable with the state of people’s lives, even when we have the means to help or at the very least carry them in prayer.
When we look at Jesus, He went to the very people society overlooked and abandoned the ones no one cared enough to save. This article really blessed me and deeply challenged my heart. Thank you so much for sharing it.