A truly altruistic act?

Question

Can anyone think of one?
Studying it in psychology and its a lot harder than it seems.

Answer 1

We are selfish people. It is a plain fact.Our selfishness is such a recognized reality that we often wonder if there is such a thing as an altruistic act. Such concerns are warranted. Is there anything not done out of selfishness?

Generally all the beliefs we have are somehow self-serving. They are constructs that allow us to live in a selfish manner and extract fulfillment from quenching such selfishness. Seizing the day, being all you can be, making the most of every opportunity and sapping something for what it is worth are all selfish approaches. People disregard religion for selfish reasons. People submit themselves to religion for selfish reasons. You probably attend college for selfish reasons.

Kindness itself is often motivated selfishly. This is a matter with which many of us have personal hang-ups. Did I do that favor for my friend without truly expecting anything whatsoever — including gratefulness — in return from him? Why did I really make all those tax-deductible donations to charity?

Perhaps we can find an answer for a truly altruistic act denoted by no selfishness in a person giving up his or her life for another. I personally stand in awe at the bravery of Japanese kamikazes during World War II. I am also struck by the acts of those who were willing to risk their lives during the Holocaust to spare others from torture and death. Such acts are selfless, but are they in no way denoted by selfishness?

God describes Himself as a jealous God. True, just as God's foolishness and anger are different than man's foolishness and anger, His jealousy and "selfishness" are not that of man's. However, scripture indicates that the Lord truly desires to have relationships with the people He created in His own image.

Is it not "selfish" that God would actually want His creation to love Him in return? It seems somewhat selfish that despite the Lord giving us a free will, He has called to Himself people of all nations.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, taking the sins of the world upon Himself is truly the most selfless and loving act ever. God was so "selfish" that He was able to become selfless.

Reading this, you may still think it is presumptuous that Christ proclaims He is the only way to the Father. Furthermore, is it not selfish on the part of those ridiculous Christians to believe that there is a loving God who, after creating a people that went astray, cries out to the world to be reconciled to Him?

I dare say you are probably right. Though not being self-righteous or erroneously creating a god in their own image, Christians, in wanting to spend eternity in the presence of a loving God or to avoid damnation in hell, are selfish. Wanting the best for yourself — indeed, perfection — is selfish.

The catch is that once a Christian accepts Christ it does not end at having our need for a Savior fulfilled. Having our selfishness satisfied, we too must become selfless. We must go and make disciples of all nations. In other words, we must become so selfish that we are selfless enough to want everyone's selfishness (read: relationship with God through believing in the One He sent) met.

Perhaps there is even a selfishness in obeying God and spreading the gospel. Indeed, like Paul, though we faithfully share with others, we have a concern about losing the prize ourselves.

So, whether I am being altruistic or not, I entreat you, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God

Answer 2

Altruistic Acts

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
A truly altruistic act?
Can anyone think of one?
Studying it in psychology and its a lot harder than it seems.

Answer 4

Here's the deal: Altruism, in its purest form, is sacrificing some of your own survival ability in order to augment someone else's. It's giving up something to someone who needs it but not getting anything in return. If you got something back, then it would simply be an exchange, and not a sacrifice or a gift. You give up time to make yourself dinner. Nothing altruistic about that. But if you give the dinner to someone else, then it is.

It's that idea of not getting anything back that proves to be the sticking point for some philosophers. It's a hard condition to satisfy if you're going to be strict about it. Many people who donate to charity get a 'good feeling', they may be helping their religious standing, and it is even conceivable that they are making a better world in some small way that they will get to live in. So if you want a completely and totally altruistic act these would satisfy these critics, none of these things could be true.

So can you help someone you don't like? People do that all the time. Can the act itself give you no good feeling afterward? It's hard to see why you'd do it, but that's possible too. So let's draw up what will probably sound like a silly example:

A telephone solicitor calls and bugs you during dinner. He wants five dollars to help settle people dedicated to committing crimes in your neighborhood. You give him five bucks to get rid of him. He calls back ten minutes later.

This act has arguably helped someone. It's hard to imagine feeling good about the act. And you didn't even get what you were after. Ta-da! True altruism. Of a sort.

Of course, that doesn't SOUND like altruism to most of us. And you'll find that dictionaries tend to put more emphasis on the intent and less on strict no-return outcomes. If you're TRYING to help someone and your NOT trying to get any extra reward outside of the act itself, most of us would call it a kind of altruism.

Answer 5

A truly altruistic act is reactionary. The man who jumps into a river to save someone who is drowning, the woman who walks into a burning house to rescue a child etc.

They may enjoy the accolade and the reward of feeling good about their deed afterwards, but the act itself is altruistic.

Answer 6

An altruistic act? to live by the administered code: "From each according to his ability; to each according to his need."
This is the story told by the tramp, Jeff, to Dagney Taggart, about the people at The Twentieth Century Motor Car Company.

Some of the answers above me come close in essence to a good answer, but they fail. The person who posted this:
"Altruism holds death as its ultimate goal and standard of value," a quote from Ayn Rand, misinterprets suicide as altruistic. Rand herself said no one could judge for another when enough pain was enough; but it is beside the point: she was not refering to suicide.
However, the events at the Twentieth Century sought as ends the deaths of every employee, and so it faithfully followed both Marx and Rand's interpretation of Marx: as evil altruism.

Answer 7

Altruism has been defined as instinctive cooperative behavior that is detrimental to the individual, but contributes to the survival of the species.

There's a LOT of altruism still in society. Right off the top of my head...the WTC tragedy. How many people gave their lives (trying to) save the lives of others?......MANY.

Answer 8

The only selfless act is the one you do without prior knowledge that it will benefit someone. I was telling my mother a story one time, where I casually mentioned that a previous conversation between us had meant a great deal to me. The reason I mentioned it wasn't because I was trying to make her feel good, but because she needed that information to understand the point of my story, it didn't even occur to me that she would take it as anything else. But she stopped me in the middle of my story, and thanked me for telling her that something she said meant something to me. Looking back on it, I don't know why I didn't think she would react that way, but to me, my comment was only a means to an end.

Answer 9

Any act of necessity where one stands to lose where others stand to gain. Many ethical dilemmas fall into this category.

Or perhaps any act where the delusion of an agent is not present.

Edit: Ayn Rand was an idiot. Please stop quoting her.

Answer 10

Our conscience is nothing but a set of feelings. Our conscience hurting us is punishment.

When we do something we think is good, we feel good. Those good feelings are rewards.

Neither acting out of fear of punishment nor hope of rewards is altruism.

Yes, altruism is a myth.