When you want something from somebody, especially a close friend that you supposedly care for, ask yourself where the ‘quid pro quo’ is. Are you really offering them something that they personally value in return for what you yourself want out of them? Are you qualified to judge that level of value from their present day detailed life perspective? Are you qualified to know what level of sacrifices, including loss of emotional quality of life, are likely in their unique position in order to fulfill your request? Do you blame them for being selfish & greedy when they don’t give you what you yourself want out of them? Who’s really the selfish & greedy one in that equation?
Every request of a person represents another small chunk of their life that will be lost forever, even if the requested exchange isn’t ultimately made, and the loss is of one’s time in their life, through administering another request of them. I know humanity largely operates on a taker’s mentality, but you’ll likely go much further with the life you truly want if you proactively manage the value you give, with the value you take, within your personal relationships. Perfection isn’t necessary here, as a lot of good unexpectedly comes out of many types of self-interested interactions & requests, but most people could use a lot of improvement in this area of their character.
Always being an all out giver isn’t necessary or a particularly a good idea either, but I’d error towards giving versus taking, if you want to receive more overall in life. The nature of human life ultimately comes down to self-interest, as it must to function & survive. However, in order to effectively develop quality relationships and receive meaningful value from others, you’ve got to look out for the self-interest of those you want your desired value from, whether it be tangible or intangible. If you don’t look out for their self-interest, then you can’t blame them when they simply do so by consistently denying your requests. Why not try to go into all your requests of others with a genuine win/win?
Personally, I wish I could always be a 100% selfish taker in life and have all my dreams come forever true, however, social human nature just doesn’t work that way, despite me wishing it did.
Instead, I’m investing my efforts into understanding precisely what people truly value in life and why/how they respond to particular approaches of requests, including myself. This is a cornerstone of how you predictably get ahead & stay ahead with much of what you want in life. Virtually everything you want is ultimately available to you through the right exchange of customized value & interpersonal approach of offering it.
And don’t you just find it hilarious when someone makes a one-sided offer to get what they want from you, then you counter to make it more reasonable so you can help them get what they want, and then they decide to get mad at you for the “selfish” nature of your offer to them? Those gems are some of the best easter eggs of human psychology. 
