Altruism
I am a cynic in the sense that I think that people intrinsically have underlying selfish motives whether they be conscious or unconscious. I have doubts in pure altruism, meaning that I think that most if not all acts have a selfish motive. While some acts may have been acted on in the interest of another, I doubt that those acts do not also have a selfish motive. To me, this can even be the “good” feeling you get from helping another. People will argue that when they perform such an act (which they call an “altruistic” act), they were only concerned about the others well-being. Yet, these same people have high regards for performing altruistic acts, and they get a high from attempting to do so. To me, this is yet another selfish motive that renders the act altruistic-less or at least not purely or only altruistic.
At minimum, we all have an underlying instinct for survival. We are instinctively motivated by this to preserve our own well-being. This primitive instinct seems to be at the heart of most of our selfish acts. Arguments will come up with examples like how a soldier in war might throw himself upon a grenade to save his platoon. How I see it is that this soldier was conditioned to believe that doing so is the right thing to do, and so he does so, because of the feeling he gets from doing the right thing.
I think that “selfishness” has an undeserved bad reputation and so called “altruistic” acts are held in an unwarranted high regard. I’m not trying to take credit away from anyone for anything like that, it is just my observation.
6. October 2008 at 08:30
I agree with you. I think just about everything we do serves us in one way or another. Giving tithe, going to church, telling our parents we love them, etc.
jadedconformists last blog post..Biden and Palin: An Analysis on Strategery
7. October 2008 at 20:38
I agree too.
Not to wax too political, but I think this is the main reason why capitalism works so well: it harnesses our fundamental selfish motives into win-win situations.
8. October 2008 at 04:42
Do follow the development of String Theory? The theory that if proven will create a link between Quantum Physics and the Theory of Relativity- essentially a formula that describes everything in the universe.
If this theory is proven- and some think it may be in the next five years… then it will proven all humans are connected in the most literal sense. The implications are that nothing, even the most base act is truly individual or selfish- since String Theory would suggest that if I do something to make myself feel good- it would affect everyone in the entire universe positively as well… on a physical level.
Cool post. Made me think.
8. October 2008 at 04:43
Please forgive excessive typos. It’s 6 am in my world.
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8. October 2008 at 06:45
brazen teacher, yes I follow string theory a bit. I don’t think that it renders selfishness null though. If it is true, just because an act in which one does something to make ones self feel good, and that act happend to effect “everyone in the entire universe positively as well,” still doesn’t mean that the motivation for that act wasn’t selfish. It just happened to benefit “everyone in the entire universe positively as well” but it doesn’t mean that it was ones intention, interest, or motivation to do so. They could have very well have still been motivated by how it benefits them. It just so happens it benefited everyone else as well, even if that wasn’t the motivation.
Travis Morgans last blog post..Altruism
8. October 2008 at 19:20
If your hand (one part of your body) cleans a bleeding gash on your leg (another part of the same body) so that the leg does not get infected, get gangrene which would spread throughout the whole body, and then cause this body to become ill and die (thus killing the hand as well)… does this make the hand selfish?
This is my analogy in regards to String Theory. If we are all connected in the most physical, base sense… then would not the same apply? Are we not two parts of the same body of energy? (hypothetically speaking if this theory is true of course.)
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14. October 2008 at 02:06
Being that I’m a zen buddhist I believe that the only bad human quality is ignorance. pure altruists like mother Theresa or Gandhi comes from renunciation to ones self - ego Ignorant altruism like Bill Gates foundation is done just for stroking of ones ego.
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15. October 2008 at 19:09
I’m an bit of an altruist so I will try to defend the concept. First, I’ll say that I don’t believe everyone has good intentions. No, my general belief is that everyone is both selfish and altruistic, some one more then the other. However, i believe that there are people who are purely altruist and that they are as rare as those who are purely egotistic.
For an example for those who are purely egotistical, think of a psychopath. They do nothing but for themselves and at times, this can come to harm those who interact with them. they seem to ignore the whole concept of helping people without gain to them and that is generally why they are caught.
Now, on the opposite end of the scale, think of the police. They join to help people in need and to keep criminals from hurting others. They have a very tough training regime, not that good pay and could die at any time. Yet they still do so. Not everyone can become a cop and those that do generally are not doing it solely because they like it.
If they wanted, they could become a lawyer or go into something else less rigorous. Not to say that there aren’t bad cops but most of them do have good intentions, even those who are biased and have bad to them. Cops also get a very bad reputation, they get scorned and looked at negatively.
I went to a program where the people there actually told me they have had people both in police work and they had a fireman there. I had always had a very good idea of them, cops help people and firemen are saving people from fires at the risk of their lies. But then I hear of them being called lazy and numerous other things when they could die in their job at any time. They don’t have to go into the jobs they go into and save our sorry butts. Yet they do, pure altruism.
Also, I’ll explain why I believe everyone is altruistic. You may try to explain this to genetics but this of every human’s choice to save children. Most people, if they see a child in danger, would go save them right? Why would you do that, you’re strong, healthy, can make more kids. Animals will abandon their children to survive and may even kill the children of other animals. When a lion takes over another lion’s pride, they kill the cubs. When antelope run away from predators, the old, crippled and young get left behind. Many other species will abandon children if they have to. We never do.. Why?
We want to save the kids, we don’t want them hurt. It has nothing to do with survival or instincts. You don’t think you are going to get a prize for saving a kid right when you do. You think of saving the kid because it is right. It is a societal norm for humans, yes, but it is also altruistic.
That’s my argument…. For now…
19. October 2008 at 17:01
I agree, altruism doesn’t exist in humans. When humans do something for another, it’s all reciprocity. We hope to get back what we put out there…”good Karma” if u will.
But according to my Bio prof., altruism exists in animals, where one will give up its life to help the relative survive for the better of the family.
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29. October 2008 at 13:53
After watching my sister tend to her dying child for seven years and emerging a broken woman, I can’t help but disagree, in part, with what you say.
My experience has shown me that there are acts of love that hold no reward whatsoever. I cannot find the selfishness in my sister’s sacrifice.
How does parental love fit into your cynical philosophy?
Midwest Moms last blog post..Halloween Decorations On the Cheap
29. October 2008 at 14:04
Midwest Mom said: “My experience has shown me that there are acts of love that hold no reward whatsoever. I cannot find the selfishness in my sister’s sacrifice.”
Isn’t the act of love rewarding, and then therefore selfish? (Please keep in mind, ’selfish’ tends to have negative connotations, but that’s not what’s implied here.)
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29. October 2008 at 19:19
I wonder whether you would make a distinction between something like parental love having positive benefits and being motivated by those positive benefits.
I think, on the surface, it is easy to say “the act of love is rewarding,” but when you are loving your child and that child is suffering, it is more like your heart is being constantly ripped from your chest and you have to watch everything in slow motion — it is excruciating.
Midwest Moms last blog post..Halloween Decorations On the Cheap
30. October 2008 at 07:10
Understood about what you’re saying. But if your child is suffering, would you rather be there to hold them or not, regardless whether or not holding them will have any direct benefit to them?
jadedconformists last blog post..5×14=25
30. October 2008 at 09:03
I would rather hold them…
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3. November 2008 at 08:09
I agree true altruism is hard to find - selfishness gets in the way. Same may be said of many noble virtues like love, but does that mean they are not worth pursuing, even in imperfect degrees?
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3. November 2008 at 08:22
@ Mulled Vine:
It’s not more or less imperfect than anything that is what it happens to be–it’s perfectly what it is. I agree–it’s worth pursuing, and I’m not sure that this post was an argument against doing so. ;)
jadedconformists last blog post..Yearn, Dance, Sing
3. November 2008 at 10:20
I don’t understand your first sentence. Pefectl what it is? Is that so deep that it seems redundant? (Puzzled frown)
I thought you were defending the virtues of selfishness. I think there are very few of those, even if they are perfect at being what they are or whatever it is you said. ;-)
Mulled Vines last blog post..The "E" Word
12. February 2009 at 18:18
I agree, HAHAHA…I was just about to say “As a matter of fact”…hahahah. I agree with what you said wholeheartedly. I often wonder if this thing called consciousness is even a good thing…I mean it will eventually (as far as I can see) get us all blown up….I watch the animals..They just do what is in front of them to do…I really beleive the closer we are to Mother Nature, the more content we would be….Anyway, if tending the sick child didn’t make me feel like I was doing the right thing I most likely wouldn’t do it. In the animal kingdom sometimes walking away is the right thing. Doing what I conceive to be the right thing makes me feel whole. If I was taught walking away is the right thing, then I would walk away & eventhough my heart would hurt, I could still live with myself…bottom line…self always comes into play.
30. April 2009 at 00:18
My great uncle died by jumping on a grenade to save his platoon, I make no attempt to figure out why he did this, I do not believe I can come upon the solution, does the fact that it was his grenade matter? Does it matter that he meant to throw the grenade at someone else? All I can say is this world confuses me to the extreme and we are all trying to make sense out of it.
29. May 2009 at 01:59
selfishness is basic and boringly one dimensional, anyone with an antenna for body language and behaviours like focus and attention, we all know how dull a self centered person is. Their world is closed, they are their own boring focus and it’s a big wide world full to the brim of amazing information and opportunities. Random acts of kindness touch us all… i can’t elaborate right now but i hope you get what i mean.. the child is the centre of the universe, we all were then we evolved past that… to varying degree’s… a person who can’t extend himself to reach out in some altruistic way is bereft, don’t you feel that… it’s to do with a passionate love for life and the people in it…..