Selfishness...Cure??

Is selfishness hereditary, or is it an acquired trait? Do these people ever think about anyone or anything else besides themselves? Does it play a big role in life, and does it determine the outcome of the future?? And another thing; is self-preservation the same as selfishness?? I wonder....

There are two things about the human behaviour that I could never understand: selfishness and kiasu-ness. But then again, understanding the human psyche was never my strong point. Sigh, go figure...

We live in a world where to some, it is permissible, to a certain extent, to step on other people's toes, pushing others aside or even stabbing others from the back to get ahead or to be the best of the best. They justify their actions by saying that it is called 'surviving in life', and if they don't do it they would be left behind because in these hectic times to them there's no longer a 'WE' or 'US', it's all about 'ME, MYSELF & I'..... Gosh, what a lotta BS!!

I understand the need to succeed, and I do understand the desire to be the best, but to trample on others on the way to the top is sooo wrong!! I don't know how they could do it; maybe they are made of sterner stuff, and maybe they have a heart of stone or steel...i don't know. It just baffles me sometimes how they can do what they did or are doing and still have their conscience intact. And it hurts when you realized that the people that you thought would never resort to a selfish state (well, at least with you) would be one selfish a**!! So what's their excuse I wonder? To be better, smarter, popular than you because they felt threatened perhaps?? Oh puh-leaze! They can have ALL the limelight that they want, I just don't f***ing care! I have never meddled in anyone's business, have never tried to be someone that I'm not, and the last thing I wanna be is to be put on a pedestal and being known as miss goody-goody two shoes smarty pants. I've always tried understand others and put myself in their shoes; so that I won't do anything that I know I wouldn't like too. But it is so disheartening when after all that you've done and be, there are still people who are still envious of you even when you've never given them the need to be. What hurts more is that when they are amongst the people that you consider your friends that you thought know you better by now and would never do such a thing. Oh well, I guess one can never totally understand the actions of others no matter how much one thought they did or would like to. Complex beings we are, humans.....

And having said that, is selfishness curable? Is there hope still for those afflicted by it?
If any of you has the cure for this epidemic and contagious disease, please do let me know because I sure could do with some of it pronto...