If not can I have examples? It is in my belief that the closest thing to a 100% selfless act is deliberately giving one's life to save another's.
2007-05-09 14:30:53 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Even the situation you describe arguably is self-serving. The person gets to be a hero/a martyr. Maybe they didn't value their life too highly anyway. But yeah that would be a pretty dramatic example of selflessness. Jesus gave his life (suffering excruciating tortures before a painful death) to save us from sin. Tough to top that!
Certainly helping others would be the closest to being selfless but even this has a reward: the reward of feeling needed, the warm & fuzzy feeling of doing a good thing, being a good person. Still I wouldn't describe this as self-interest. Every act has a reward. Even if you do something nice for someone in secret & never get the credit, you still have the inner satisfaction of doing something nice.
2007-05-09 14:47:00 · answer #1 · answered by amp 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't speak for other people, but as for myself yes
every action has some self-interest involved.
At the very least, my voluntary action will set a good example
and I can consider that as a potential improvement for
my environment which in a round-about way improves
my own situation because I am a participant in my
environment.
2007-05-09 14:41:30 · answer #2 · answered by active open programming 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A martyr is still self-serving. Being willing to give one's life for another is selfish. The individual playing the martry receives satisfaction in the act.
2007-05-09 14:42:24 · answer #3 · answered by guru 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ooh tough one. I'll say yes because i'm a misanthorpe. (however you spell that)
But i'll say that giving your life up isn't as selfless at it seems. The person probably does that because its usually drilled into their brain that martrydom is a good thing (see: suicide bombers) and they'll go to heaven for it. However, if an athiest did that i would be really amazed. Heck i'll even consider giving up my life to save his.
2007-05-09 14:38:27 · answer #4 · answered by checkmate_3311989 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have 2 kids. I would not hesitate to die if it were to save their lives. That said, it would satisfy me to know they were going to be saved. I think though that you have hit on the principle of giving and recieving. The act of giving (not of being made to give, but an act of free will) cannot be seperated from a reward.
2007-05-09 16:09:12 · answer #5 · answered by sehbastian421 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes everything is due to self-intrest. You go to school because you don't want to get in trouble, you donate to charity because you feel bad of a previous event or small pride you take in, you do nice things to a person to establish freindship which (although sad) exploit whether through favors or reliving bordom.
2007-05-09 14:40:17 · answer #6 · answered by jpofgs_jp 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, yeah, unless you get killed to help someone else, but even that could be considered slightly selfish if you think that being killed for someone else is glorious and also by not considering the ones you are going to leave behind. at the least, a voluntary act brings you happiness--a selfish motive perhaps but not a bad one!
2007-05-09 14:36:27 · answer #7 · answered by KJC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yep, and yep, but the person who sacrifices for another does so because he has a little voice telling him to do so, and NOT to do so would cause internal dissonance...so that is self interest....imo!
Read "A man for all seasons"--More sacrificices himself for his principles, which are literally more important to him than his life. Still selfish!
2007-05-09 14:39:21 · answer #8 · answered by silentnonrev 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes
2007-05-09 14:35:47 · answer #9 · answered by RT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋