Selfishness: The Good and The Bad (The Daily Trudge)

Selfishness: The Good and The Bad (The Daily Trudge)

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? On RAW Recovery’s Daily Trudge, host Dion takes a frank look at a word that makes many people in recovery squirm: selfishness. He starts by challenging the idea that selfishness is always bad. As he puts it, "Selfishness itself is not inherently bad. Your selfishness leads to healthy boundaries.

Absolutely, it does." From there, he splits selfishness into two camps: the destructive version that wrecks relationships, and the healthier self-focus that keeps recovery on track.

You’ll hear him talk openly about how fear and self-centred thinking once drove his behaviour into anger, manipulation and entitlement, leaving "broken relationships, resentment, and isolation." He contrasts that with simple, practical examples of “good selfishness”: going to meetings, praying for sobriety, saying no when needed, asking for help with his car, and giving himself space on tough mental health days.

There’s also a powerful section where Dion reads through common defects and their opposites: fear and courage, dishonesty and honesty, impatience and patience. It’s a reminder that every difficult trait has a healthier counterpoint, and that recovery is about shifting the balance rather than erasing the self.

Along the way, he shares real-life moments—from being denied disability and reframing it as "good news", to blocking triggering content online for his own peace of mind—all to show what responsible self-care can look like in everyday recovery. The heart of his message?

The question isn’t "am I being selfish?" but "what are my intentions, and who is helped or harmed by this?" For anyone wrestling with guilt around boundaries, self-care, or putting recovery first, this honest chat may be just the nudge needed to rethink what “selfish” really means. Where might a little healthy selfishness actually support your sobriety?