There are many ways to answer this question but here is one useful lens:
- Soul-sucking: You’re doing it for the sake of others but not yourself.
- Soul-enriching: You’re doing it for yourself and (possibly) others.
The premise behind this is simple: if you act for others without acting for yourself, you will eventually be depleted and unhappy.
And related to this two:
- Selfish: You’re doing it for yourself at the expense of others.
Everything can be soul-sucking, soul-enriching, or just plain selfish.
The intention behind the act matters much more than the form of the act itself.