Self-interested behaviour in economics system

Question

Several critics of our economic system contend such that self-interested behavior is not intrinsic, although that people are taught to be "selfish" through our society's stress within competition. Such critics argue that when we encouraged cooperation as much as we currently reward competitive behavior, children would be far less selfish while they turn into adults. Are all people naturally selfish? When you agree along with such critics, how might we reorganize typical child rearing exercises and our education system to give confidence cooperation? If you agree or disagree about selfishness is a learned behaviour that would the world be better off when people acted into less self interested manners? Why, or why not?

Answer 1

While an arguable point, people tend to be naturally selfish. Achieving to one's own fundamental needs is an initial priority even though this precludes others by doing similar.

Fostering cooperation over selfish behavior may be attempted through rewarding cooperative behavior (that is, devising an incentive system which makes cooperative behavior extra attractive than selfish behavior).

Cooperation would certainly make the world a improved place to live, but it does not mean that selfish behavior must be eradicated. Whether selfish behavior has been responsible for many of the inventions or innovations, which have created the world a better place to survive. Selfish behavior can be likened by Adam Smith in his "invisible hand" where people benefit society by functioning in their own interest.