RE: ...to save our own lives, we must make a conscious choice.

Ignorance makes one to think that catering for SELF will lead to satisfaction, lo! man has never been satisfied even while we seek to amass everything to our favour.

Many never consider why God had to create some vital essence of life with two perspectives:

Day vs night
Light vs darkness
Blessings vs curses
Life vs death

If there were no nights, we'll never appreciate the gifts of Days.
If there we no darkness, the glory of Light will never be understood
If there were no curses, then blessings will be meaningless
If there was no death, how will we have defined life?

It was God's intent to bring man into a web of dependence. We need one another to survive even as God needed us to fulfill His mission on earth. Today, God is still in need of a man. We in our being cannot truly exist outside of God for we are the branches and He's the vine (John 15).

Jesus Christ crowns it all when He says that "laying down ones life for a friend" is the greatest show of love.

We are for others.

Selfishness profits no man, but if a seed dies, it will grow and bring forth much fruits.

Thanks @ejemai for the post.