“Selfishness is blind.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi's autobiography / writings; listed in Gandhi epigram collections.
About this quote
Turned fully inward, a person stops seeing clearly. Grabbing for yourself narrows the field of view until other people's needs, and even your own longer-term good, drop out of sight. What looks like shrewd self-interest often walks straight past the very thing it wanted.
When to use it
- A manager who hoards credit and never notices the resentment quietly building around him.
- A shopper chasing the cheapest deal without seeing whose livelihood it undercuts.
- A driver forcing his way into every gap and creating the jam he's stuck in.