Altruism - Does it exist?

Kburjr

Kburjr

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I say no. People act for their own benefit. Whether serving your country or helping our your fellow man, you do it because it makes you feel good.
 
Nope. Everybody wants something.
 
I do things for others selflessly, but I do want to be thanked. So I guess I'm selfish?
 
Gatorchip said:
I do things for others selflessly, but I do want to be thanked. So I guess I'm selfish?
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Exactly... I think they call it reciprocal altruism.
 
Kburjr said:
I say no. People act for their own benefit. Whether serving your country or helping our your fellow man, you do it because it makes you feel good.
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Ideologically Yes, Realty no. The closest you are ever going to come in obtaining Altruism is @moxie being an " Even more politer than fucker"!!
 
Voltaire said:
Ideologically Yes, Realty no. The closest you are ever going to come in obtaining Altruism is @moxie being an " Even more politer than fucker"!!
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Another example of reciprocal altruism. I'm polite because I want other people to be, but those fuckers don't know how to behave!
 
Kburjr said:
I say no. People act for their own benefit. Whether serving your country or helping our your fellow man, you do it because it makes you feel good.
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People also do a lot of evil thing because it makes them feels good.

Yes, Altruism exists.
 
Kburjr said:
I say no. People act for their own benefit. Whether serving your country or helping our your fellow man, you do it because it makes you feel good.
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I've done good things for other people and it made me feel horrible. I think most of the time people do good for other people for reciprocation, but sometime people do good things for other people when they know no reciprocation will happen.

I would say that altruism exists, but there is a lot of gray area and never 100%.
 
Don't know if it can exist in pure form. Humans almost always have mixed motivations.

Maybe it comes down to how you define it.
 
PackJason said:
I've done good things for other people and it made me feel horrible. I think most of the time people do good for other people for reciprocation, but sometime people do good things for other people when they know no reciprocation will happen.

I would say that altruism exists, but there is a lot of gray area and never 100%.
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The question then is why do good when no reciprocation is expected. Is it possible for any action not to have a preceding motive?
 
moxie said:
Example?
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Mowing the elderly neighbor's grass, shoveling her snow. Volunteering for non-profit civic organizations, coaching rec sports, ...
 
Kburjr said:
Doing good for the sake of doing good.
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I am being polite and not engaging with idiots ... but that is not altruistic ... it is so I don't have to deal with idiots (very selfish on my part).
 
Kburjr said:
Doing good for the sake of doing good.
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I think I can't discount the "good feels" though. That's motivation to do good, therefore an expectation of sorts. Not truly altruistic.

Even babies do it and they don't understand the motivation! They make you smile because it makes them smile! Selfish little pricks.
 
MTVike said:
Mowing the elderly neighbor's grass, shoveling her snow. Volunteering for non-profit civic organizations, coaching rec sports, ...
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Does it make you feel good to do those deeds for someone?
 
Kburjr said:
The question then is why do good when no reciprocation is expected. Is it possible for any action not to have a preceding motive?
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Love. That's probably the most hippie thing you will ever see me post, but love.
 
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