every man for himself and the devil (shall| might as well|) take the hindmost/ˈɛvɹi mˈæn fɔːɹ hɪmsˈɛlf ænd ðə dˈɛvəl ʃˌæl mˌaɪt æz wˈɛl tˈeɪk ðə hˈaɪndmoʊst/sentence
used to imply that in a difficult or competitive situation, individuals prioritize their own well-being and survival above others
"In a competition, everyone looks out for themselves — every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost."
"During the crisis, colleagues abandoned teamwork — every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost."
every miller draws water to (his|their) own mill/ˈɛvɹi mˈɪlɚ dɹˈɔːz wˈɔːɾɚ tə hɪz ɔːɹ ðɛɹ ˈoʊn mˈɪl/sentence
used to imply that people will act in their own self-interest and use whatever resources they have available to achieve their own goals, even if it means working against other
"Everyone is primarily concerned with their own interests — every miller draws water to his own mill."
"Each manager hoarded resources for their team — every miller draws water to their own mill."
near is my shirt, but nearer is my skin/nˌɪɹ ɪz maɪ ʃˈɜːt bˌʌt nˈɪɹɚɹ ɪz maɪ skˈɪn/sentence
used to imply that individuals have a tendency to prioritize their own needs, safety, and comfort over other external considerations
"I help myself first."
"While he was generous, he ultimately remembered that near is my shirt, but nearer is my skin."
self-preservation is the first law of nature/sˈɛlfpɹɪsɚvˈeɪʃən ɪz ðə fˈɜːst lˈɔː ʌv nˈeɪtʃɚ/sentence
used to imply that every living creature has a natural instinct to protect itself and ensure its own survival
"Survival is the most basic instinct — self-preservation is the first law of nature."
"When the restructuring was announced, self-preservation is the first law of nature applied immediately."
selfishness knows no bound/sˈɛlfɪʃnəs nˈoʊz nˈoʊ bˈaʊnd/sentence
used to imply that selfish people are often willing to act in ways that benefit themselves, even if it causes harm to others or goes beyond the acceptable limits of behavior
"Selfishness has no boundaries — selfishness knows no bounds."
"His demands escalated without limit — selfishness knows no bound."
selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live/sˈɛlfɪʃnəs ɪz nˌɑːt lˈɪvɪŋ æz wˈʌn wˈɪʃᵻz tə lˈɪv ɪt ɪz ˈæskɪŋ ˈʌðɚz tə lˈɪv æz wˈʌn wˈɪʃᵻz tə lˈɪv/sentence
said to imply is not simply pursuing one's own interests, but also trying to impose one's will on others, rather than respecting their autonomy and allowing them to live as they wish
"True selfishness is imposing your wishes on others — selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live."
"Demanding others follow your lifestyle reveals selfishness — it is not living as one wishes, but asking others to live as one wishes."
Learn all 6 words in this list with spaced repetition