Whenever you make an overly general statement about another person or about yourself,you are likely to be distorting the facts and conveying very little useful information.This is because most generalizations fail to differentiate between states and traits.A state is a temporary way of being while a trait tends to be a more stable and enduring characteristic or pattern of behavior.So,someone with a character trait of calmness and composure can,under certain circumstances,act agitated and angry because of being in a temporary state that is quite uncharacteristic of his regular style.Hence,"You are selfish"is vague generalization.Indeed,"You are selfish"implies that is quite uncharacteristic of his regular style.Hence,"You are selfish"is vague generalization.Indeed,"You are selfish"implies that the person almost always makes inconsiderate or self-centered choices that disregard the needs and wishes of others.But an occasional selfish act does not make someone selfish across the board because even a very generous person can occasionally be in a state during which he is anything but generous.