merely self-preservation
definitions
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The concept that an action or motivation is driven exclusively by the instinct to survive or avoid harm, lacking any higher moral, ethical, or altruistic purpose.fr: simple autopréservation
examples
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His decision to flee the country was driven by merely self-preservation, not by political conviction.
Sa décision de fuir le pays était simplement motivée par l'autopréservation, et non par conviction politique.