Can't we all be right?

Personal philosophy is just that, personal. When you write something philosophical that rings true to you, you believe it to be fact. Of course you do because you are guided by your own moral compass. When someone disputes your statement, you think they are wrong because you don't agree.

Recently, a close friend told me that I should be happy with myself and not try to find happiness in others. This was during conversation where I told her I was ready to find someone to see romantically. She challenged my preparedness, saying that I must be unhappy with myself to need someone to be happy with. My thought was that, I had to be satisfied with who I was as a person to put myself out there. I need to be whole and solid or it would be unfair to anyone I attempted to pursue.

Another friend, just as close and meaningful to me, if not more, told me that the ultimate goal in life was to make others happy without expectation. That we should go through life bringing happiness to everyone around us regardless of the outcome. This stemmed from me asking her how I could stop being so self-centered. I used to be a giver expecting nothing in return to all who asked. After being taken advantage of too many times, I turned a 180 and when things happened all I could think about was how they affected me.

Obviously, my friends' competing philosophies are in conflict on a certain level with each other.

I personally agree with both philosophies and think they can both stand on their own somewhat. Each of my friends believe their statements to be true and they both are to an extent. This begs the question, “How can that be?” How can two views on a subject be different but still correct?

When I told the altruistic friend the selfish friend's view, she disagreed saying that people wouldn't exist if we depended on only ourselves to be happy.

On the other hand, I disagreed slightly with my selfish friend saying that I could be happy with myself and still want someone else with me to make me happy. She disagreed wholeheartedly, believing that was an impossibility and that I hadn't understood or heard what she had said.

Both had good points and both would not deviate from their personal views which is virtuous in it's own right. However, all of our views, no matter how factual or ingrained they are in our own respective minds are only as true as we say they are. Is there an absolute between all of these beliefs or are we doomed by a reality of choices that are neither right nor wrong?

These are the thoughts I have while I'm pooping.

Edit:  I posted my rough draft like a dumbass.  Here is the final version.  D'oh.  2:12 PM 10/10/10