Unselfish means caring about other people's needs and happiness as much as your own. An unselfish person shares their lunch with a friend who forgot theirs, or helps a classmate study even when they'd rather play video games.

Being unselfish doesn't mean becoming a doormat or never thinking about yourself. It means finding a balance: you take care of your own responsibilities and needs, but you also look for chances to help others and make their lives better. An unselfish teammate passes the ball to whoever has the best shot, even if they want to be the one who scores. An unselfish sibling lets their brother pick the movie sometimes, instead of insisting on their own choice every time.

The opposite of unselfish is selfish, which means thinking only about yourself and what you want. People trust and enjoy being around unselfish people because they know those friends won't abandon them when things get tough.