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Does ethical egoism discourage reconciliation after a dispute?

I believe in ethical egoism, and I think humans can validly achieve certainty in their convictions. I don't think people should apologize for their virtues or for being right. I think ethical egoists who believe in rational certainty tend to come across as very argumentative. The non-egoist argumentative people I know seem to be more conciliatory. When they notice someone's feelings are hurt, they do not change their minds but they do apologize and make up. By contrast, I am under the impression that when ethical egoists get into very heated disputes, they are much less conciliatory. My impression is that they hold grudges longer and are more reluctant to apologize. I suspect they think that apologizing or trying to reconcile would be interpreted as weakness -- that they think "I refuse to apologize for being right!" and that trying to reconcile would amount to self-abasement wherein one apologizes for being right. Non-egoists would call this "Letting your pride stop you from seeking the reconciliation you yearn for." In my own case, I have had many falling-outs with other ethical egoists. What usually stops me from seeking reconciliation is that I think that if we re-connected, we would soon "schism" over something else. But I do have to ask myself if, on some level, I believe that if I seek reconciliation, I would be abasing myself by "apologizing when I'm the one who is right!" Can strong belief in ethical egoism and rational certainty -- and refusal to "apologize for one's virtues and for being right" -- encourage someone to be counter-productively unforgiving and closed against reconciliation? If so, what can an ethical egoist do to address this?

legendre007, 12.07.2014, 04:03
Idea status: under consideration

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