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Indulgent vs Selfish - What's the difference?

indulgent | selfish |

As adjectives the difference between indulgent and selfish

is that indulgent is disposed or prone to indulge, humor, gratify, or give way to one's own or another's desires, etc., or to be compliant, lenient, or forbearing; showing or ready to show favor; favorable; indisposed to be severe or harsh, or to exercise necessary restraint: as, an indulgent parent; to be indulgent to servants while selfish is holding one’s self-interest as the standard for decision making.

indulgent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Disposed or prone to indulge, humor, gratify, or give way to one's own or another's desires, etc., or to be compliant, lenient, or forbearing; showing or ready to show favor; favorable; indisposed to be severe or harsh, or to exercise necessary restraint: as, an indulgent parent; to be indulgent to servants.
  • *
  • *:An indulgent playmate, Grannie would lay aside the long scratchy-looking letter she was writing (heavily crossed ‘to save notepaper’) and enter into the delightful pastime of ‘a chicken from Mr Whiteley's’.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 29, author=Nathan Rabin
  • , title= TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992) , passage=Mr. Burns is similarly perfectly cast as a heartless capitalist willing to do anything for a quick buck, even if it means endangering the lives of those around him and Marge elegantly rounds out the main cast as a good, pure-hearted and overly indulgent woman who sees the big, good heart (literally and metaphorically) of a monstrous man-brute.}}

    Synonyms

    * forbearing * gentle * lenient * tolerant

    Derived terms

    * indulgential * indulgently

    References

    * ----

    selfish

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Holding one’s self-interest as the standard for decision making.
  • * 1997 , John Peniel, The Children Of The Law Of One & The Lost Teachings Of Atlantis , chapter 10, page 127
  • “We all have both a selfish separate self, and an Inner Being that is One with the Universal Spirit. In this sense, every human has a sort of ‘split personality’. We are all kind of what you call ‘schitzy’ with these two sides, these two people living within us. And they are in total opposition. The free will dictates which of these two sides will have its way in our life, at every given moment.”
  • Having regard for oneself above others’ well-being.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
  • , chapter=5, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite.

    Usage notes

    * Said of people, motives, desires, acts, etc.

    Synonyms

    * egoistic * egotistic * egotistical * self-centered * greedy

    Antonyms

    * altruistic * philanthropic * selfless * unselfish

    Derived terms

    * selfishly * selfishness

    See also

    * self-serving

    Anagrams

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