Healthy Selfishness Test (HSS)

The Healthy Selfishness concept was developed by Scott Barry Kaufman and Emanuel Jauk to better understand how people balance their own needs with the needs of others. Traditional discussions of selfishness often assume that caring for oneself is morally negative, while caring for others is always positive. However, psychological research suggests that this distinction is not always accurate. In many cases, taking care of one’s own needs is necessary for psychological well-being, while extreme self-sacrifice can sometimes lead to unhealthy outcomes.

Kaufman and Jauk introduced the concepts of healthy selfishness and pathological altruism to capture these differences. Healthy selfishness refers to the ability to value one’s own needs, boundaries, and well-being without harming others. People high in healthy selfishness tend to prioritize self-care, pursue meaningful goals, and maintain personal boundaries. This orientation supports psychological health and allows individuals to contribute to relationships and communities in sustainable ways.

Pathological altruism, by contrast, refers to helping behaviors that ultimately harm oneself or others. Individuals high in pathological altruism may ignore their own needs, sacrifice excessively for others, or enable harmful situations in the name of helping. While their intentions may appear generous, the long-term consequences can include burnout, resentment, or unhealthy relationship dynamics.

To study these patterns, researchers developed survey items describing behaviors and attitudes related to self-care, boundaries, and helping others. Participants rate their agreement with each statement using a Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The scale captures two key dimensions of self-interest: Healthy Selfishness and Pathological Altruism.

Healthy selfishness reflects positive self-regard and the ability to maintain balance between personal well-being and concern for others. Individuals with higher scores typically feel comfortable prioritizing their needs, saying no when necessary, and pursuing personal fulfillment without excessive guilt.

Pathological altruism reflects patterns of self-sacrifice that may be psychologically harmful. Individuals high in this dimension may feel obligated to help even when it damages their well-being, struggle to set boundaries, or feel guilty for prioritizing themselves.

By measuring these two contrasting tendencies, the Healthy Selfishness framework helps researchers understand how different motivations for helping or prioritizing oneself relate to mental health, personality, and life satisfaction. The scale has been used in studies exploring well-being, self-compassion, and the psychology of prosocial behavior.

Overall, the Healthy Selfishness Scale provides a concise way to assess how people manage the balance between caring for themselves and caring for others. Rather than framing selfishness and altruism as simple opposites, the test highlights how both can exist in healthy or unhealthy forms.

References

• Kaufman, S. B., & Jauk, E. (2020). Healthy Selfishness and Pathological Altruism: Measuring Two Paradoxical Forms of Selfishness. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.
• Maslow, A. H. (1943/1996). “Is human nature basically selfish?” in Future Visions: The Unpublished Papers of Abraham Maslow, E. Hoffman (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications), 107–114.