Gatsby only cares about how his actions will affect himself, and that is the root cause of the destruction of his life. When he was growing up, he began lying about who he was and telling his friends he was a rich socialite. “The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God...” (98). This version of himself is one of the first ways he shows his selfishness. He lies to those he cares about to get ahead in the world and try to make money off of his friends. Selfish and infatuated, he tells Tom that Daisy loves him even though Daisy is not ready to tell …show more content…
All of their actions were motivated by self-gain and leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. As their lives continue, they slowly deteriorate ending in three deaths all because of selfish acts. Even if someone is looking out for themselves, they always manage to get hurt. One must learn to live by helping themselves as well as others. Their lives will end up benefiting from it more than they would if they are selfish. To live one's life only thinking about themselves is dangerous and can end with much sadness and