Here's a question for you...
Is there such a thing as true altruism? Can good be done completely without thought of benefit to oneself??
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7 comments:
I don't think that there is such a thing as absolute altruism, but there are things that come close. I'm thinking of doctors that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and years and years on their education in America, only to go off to a poor, underdeveloped nation to offer their services for free. Humanitarian workers that make this kind of sacrafice rarely have self-serving motives.
If we look at individual acts like this then I am confident that altruism exists. If we were to examine lives as a whole, and not focus on specific acts, then altruism is an ideal, not a reality unfortunately.
Good question.
Altruism, nope, it's a word that has no basis. Maybe theres good intention but, ultimately, the intention is designed to do something for our own good.
In leftoverjoe's comment about the doctors, one thing that is driving them is the feeling of doing good. Who is that benefiting? Answer: the person doing the deed by the emotional payback and the subjects of the good deed. That's not a bad thing, but we do it for our own good. It's very hard to completely remove one's self from a situation. In part, one's self creates a situation by simply existing!
Even if we do our best to improve our own area of the planet, its to make that area better. Who is it that benefits? All people, but the doer has a *special* significance. Just something to be watched after I guess. Maybe I should do more of this to see how the thinking goes!!
oops... replace the word subjects with objects. I really have to be more diligent with my editing!
"...one thing that is driving them is the feeling of doing good. Who is that benefiting? Answer: the person doing the deed by the emotional payback and the subjects of the good deed. That's not a bad thing, but we do it for our own good."
I disagree. I don't think that those doctors sit down when they are thinking about going over there and say..."Hmm, I'll probably feel pretty good about myself too." That feeling of self-worth is inextricable from the equation, but I wouldn't call it a driving force. I myself have done things where I didn't think about it at all, I just did it, without thought of myself at the time. Later people said 'way to go' and whatever, but I had absolutely zero ego in my actions.
I think you're view may be more cynical, and mine more idealistic, but they both have merit. I tend to think a little more positively these days than I used to so I stand by my assertion that there can be, and is, altruism in this world.
My opinion is that even in the appearance of the highest altruism, the act seems to always be capable of being reduced to selfish interest at the core of it. Even when I am at my most unselfish, it seems that my act is carried by the intention of, while also doing something for someone else, making my SELF feel good.
All actions seem to be intertwined with multiple intents on some level. I do see a difference between what intent the PRIMARY focus is on. At my 'altruistic', I am MORE intent on doing something for the other. My own benefit, while still there, is a secondary concern. If altruism cannot be defined in this way, then I will be forced to concede that there is no true altruism...unless of course, another alternative view is presented.
Another way of looking at it, is that since we are all part of the larger whole, all connected and thus 'one' at our essence, even acts of self interest are inherently altruistic. What I do out of love for myself naturally benefits the other.
"He who by good deeds covers the evil he has done illuminates this world like the moon freed from the clouds" ~Dhammapadda
Even for those who don’t get an emotional benefit from helping others more than likely have religious beliefs that would see that they are rewarded for their so called actions of altruism in the next life.
of course altruism exists, the problem is you rarely hear about, because people dont advertise such things, just look at parents, and any honest religious leaders, they give their time daily
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