I'm surprised nobody has discussed ethical egoism in depth here despite the call for us to be more selfish regarding how we operate(Narcissism-Dark Triad). I will try merge philosophy, economics(my field of study) and history & international relations to indicate how to pursue your own interests and how thats the only true moral.

Economics: "There is no such thing as a free lunch." No matter what industry we are speaking of, everything has a price. You honestly think your psychiatrist gives a fuck about you? S/He is simply lining their pockets. That surgeon who operated on your heart could care less if you die, as long as you pay up. Always remember: "People respond to incentives" Why do most people interrupt their sleep to work a 9-5? Paycheck. Therefore always pursue your self interest and as it regards others always ask yourself what the other parties self interest is. That is the nature of equilibrium in markets. Demand has to meet supply. If there is a drought in the U.S and corn supply gets hit, prices rise. Will a corn farmer sell to you at a low price after the drought? Thats why when the social justice warriors talk about "gentrification" they have no clue what they're talking about. Its simply the free hand of Smith moving prices, its an inevitability.

Philosophy: I'll use the Ring of Gyges in Plato's Republic as an example to explain this as it pertains to equilibrium ethics, the merging of dual self interest. " an unnamed ancestor of Gyges[4] was a shepherd in the service of the ruler of Lydia. After an earthquake, a cave was revealed in a mountainside where he was feeding his flock. Entering the cave, he discovered that it was in fact a tomb with a bronze horse containing a corpse, larger than that of a man, who wore a golden ring), which he pocketed. He discovered that the ring gave him the power to become invisible by adjusting it. He then arranged to be chosen as one of the messengers who reported to the king as to the status of the flocks. Arriving at the palace, he used his new power of invisibility to seduce the queen, and with her help he murdered the king, and became king of Lydia himself." Glaucon(Socrates' brother) goes on to argue that morality is a social construct. People only behave morally because of the consequences of not doing so. Here we see how Gyges' ancestor seized the throne. He was simply pursuing his own interests, ethical egoism. Law 13 of Power: "

Law 13: When Asking For Help Appeal To Peoples Self-Interest, Never To Their Mercy Or Gratitude

History & International Relations: I will be using U.S foreign policy here to make my point. If people are selfish in the microcosm, what about the macrocosm? Iran elected Mohammed Mossadegh as their leader awhile back. He was a socialist though. Here is where TRP comes in. We tend to be realists not liberal internationalists. Did the U.S give a fuck about the will of the people? History here and international relations show how machiavellianism is rampant in politics. Mohammed Mossadegh was overthrown and a king Shah Pahlavi was installed to protect U.S interests. All that spread of democracy is just an illusion. What do people really want? Look at the Saudi-U.S relationship. Many people are ignorant of the Petrodollar and William E Simon. What happened is that oil internationally is denominated in dollars, making that currency the world reserve currency. Nixon and Simon met with King Faysal and made the deal. So the U.S only gives a fuck about Saudi Arabia because of oil reserves.

Equilibirum ethics dictates not only to pursue your own interests but always ask yourself. What does the opposing party really want?