How did Adam Smith connect self-interest with concern for other people?

Adam Smith bridged the gap between individual self-interest and the welfare of others through his concepts of sympathy, the impartial spectator, and the invisible hand.12

In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith argued that humans are not driven solely by self-interest but are also regulated by their capacity for sympathy and reason. He proposed that an "inner man," or "impartial spectator," acts as a moral guide, allowing individuals to judge their own actions and mitigate the potential harm of their passions.1

Furthermore, Smith famously used the metaphor of the "invisible hand" to explain how self-interested actions can unintentionally promote the common good. He observed that as individuals pursue their own goals—such as investing in domestic industry or employing others—they are often led to advance the interests of society without intending to do so. Thus, for Smith, social institutions and economic systems are structured to channel individual drives into outcomes that benefit the broader community.12