I mean when you do something really nice for someone and sacrifice a part of your pleassure in the end you have a nice feeling and that gives you pleassure back, so it isn't that a selfless act. Is there something good you can do for someone else and be sad afterwards? I think that would be really selfless.
2007-04-27 10:12:32 · 10 answers · asked by M?r?? P 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
I am wondering why you think that your enjoyment of the good act somehow "negates" the goodness of it? The point is to be good and help others, not to deny yourself all joy! Only a sociopath could do good for others without feeling some happiness for the other persons "good fortune".
As for selfless acts that leave the "doer" feeling sad just talk to any mother about how many times they've had to "discipline" their child for their own good. Its a real pain in the butt to put a kid through timeout, grounding, etc. only to have them angry at your when you know it's all for their own good!
2007-04-27 10:31:01 · answer #1 · answered by psycho-cook 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you do nice things for anyone whenever they need help but don't have enought time for yourself. You don't always feel good. You sometimes feel underappreciated for what you do for people, yet you still do what you are asked just for the benefit of the other. That could be considered a selfless act, but when someone mentions selfless acts, they do not mean completely selfless in the form you are talking about. The person who does such acts gets a good feeling after helping the other person. The thing is, the helper does not help the other person in order to get the feeling. Instead they do so, because it is needed.... I hope I was not redundant right there.
2007-04-27 10:30:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That would not be selfless because if you make someone happy (lets say, your friend) and then you become sad, then your sadness will make them less happy and you wouldn't have actually helped them that much. I guess if you try to help a really selfish person that doesn't really like you, it might be what they need to open up their own heart - but that's not always a good idea because people will try and manipulate you.
The one true selfless act is willingly sacrificing your life for the life of another, or others.
2007-04-27 10:37:49 · answer #3 · answered by driving_blindly 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not whether or not you feel good afterward that makes it a selfless act, it's what you INTEND to get out of it. If you do this act of kindness with no ulterior motive but just to do good then it is a selfless act. If you feel good after, then hey, there's nothing wrong with that!
2007-04-27 10:32:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, I think all acts are for the self as well as others at the same time. Reason being? You, me, and they are actually all one--a collective, an allness. There is no separation outside of our minds. Why? Because every act has an effect on everything else--whether we notice the result of that act or not. We're all connected.
2007-04-27 10:32:50 · answer #5 · answered by Gela 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My step-daughter and I have issues with each other, and as a result, she lives with her grandparents. I pay her insurance, because nobody else will, and her mother can't afford it. I honestly have no clue how she will make it after the divorce, but, that is yet to happen. The insurance is $350.00 a month that I would actually like to have for me, since we are not on good terms. But, she's a child, and needs someone to provide for her; so, I do it, anyway.
Holy_See's example exemplified by my own example... How interresting...
2007-04-27 10:26:31 · answer #6 · answered by sjsosullivan 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a problem of reasoning. There is the creation of a false dilemma that we are either selfless or selfish. In a mathemtical equation or logical formulation:
we can be selfish AND selfless
and we can not-selfish and not-selfless
(+, -, +/-)
2007-04-27 10:56:06 · answer #7 · answered by guru 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What if you do something nice for somebody, but hate having to give up what you're doing to help them so much you can't bring yourself to feel good about helping them, then you're helping them without getting anything back, even a good feeling?
2007-04-27 10:23:09 · answer #8 · answered by holy_see 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What about a person who buries a dead friend in the field because you cannot get them back in presentable shape. You don't benifit from that.
2007-04-27 10:27:25 · answer #9 · answered by Sophist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All things are the self. More precisely Yes,There are nonegotistical acts.
2007-04-27 11:50:32 · answer #10 · answered by Answerer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋