For the past few years, my mind has weighed the fate of humanity. No, I am not your saviour. What I mean to say is that I've been struggling to find a suitable ideology with which to tackle the world. Am I some sort of libertarian rationalist, fully knowing that people are self-interested and independent actors who seek to maximize their own happiness above all? Am I a socialist, hoping against hope that people are basically good and decent, and that, as a community, humanity can overcome its most dire problems? Or, am I some sort of nihilist, who doesn't care to complete this thought?
I think I've come up with a system of thought I can live with. It all comes down to a matter of choice. I have no control over what other people choose to do, while I do control my every action. The focus is on the I. The best way to go about life is to maximize my happiness while minimizing the bad I do and maximizing the good. A simplistic way to work with the world, but it is the best alternative. Life is a series of choices; you have no control over other people's choices; therefore, make your choices work for you.
Why even do good? Why not selfishly pursue happiness at every turn? I don't think I'd be very happy for very long by doing very bad things. That's just how I'm wired. Maybe you're wired differently. What if you pursue your interests ruthlessly at the expense of people like me? Eh. I hope you're happy.