I think that in today’s world, by nature, we are all self-centered. And that often leads to selfishness.

Chapman frames self-centeredness as a default human posture that is intensified—or at least made more visible—by contemporary life. The quote distinguishes between an inward focus (self-centeredness) and the ethical consequence that can follow (selfishness): when our needs and preferences become the primary lens for decisions, we more easily neglect the well-being of others. In Chapman’s broader pastoral and relationship-centered outlook, this functions as a diagnosis of why empathy, service, and sustained commitment require intentional effort. The remark implicitly calls for self-awareness and practices that reorient attention outward—toward listening, sacrifice, and love as deliberate choices rather than spontaneous impulses.