Are there any real "Self-Less" acts ?

[polm]

I thought of this when I read Gruks post in this thread.

Being nice would be respecting your wishes. I'm not getting on your case; far from it. I'm the same way about electronics and my mother is the same way about "being thoughtful & nice". She always used to pull sh*t like this as well to try to bolster her own image. It's really a selfish thing, subconsciously.


When you do something for someone, is it not primarily to bolster your own self-image ?

 

[waggy]

depends on what version of philosophy you fallow.

some state that helping others makes them happy which makes society happy which makes you happy. etc.

 

[Homerboy]

I do things for my kids and my mother all the time and look for NOTHING in return.
Friends too, but certainly with lesser frequency.

 

[BatmanNate]

Personally, I don't even believe altruism is possible. I do a lot of things that might seem altruistic, but in all honesty aside from just stoking the fires of the ego, it can be satisfying just to open a door for someone or fix a machine or cook dinner or whatever. Satisfaction is a personal gain in my book, not that there is anything wrong with it. I'd be less suspicious of a person doing something for their own self image or satisfaction than for "my own good".

 

[gigapet]

i sometimes water my moms plants or feed the cats and i dont give a rats ass about either.....

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: gigapet
i sometimes water my moms plants or feed the cats and i dont give a rats ass about either.....

then why do it ?

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
I do things for my kids and my mother all the time and look for NOTHING in return.
Friends too, but certainly with lesser frequency.

you already got something....satisfaction, pleasure, etc. ?

 

[PingSpike]

Not really, most acts have a little a tinge of selfishness, even if its just to alleviate potential guilt you would feel.

 

[jyates]

I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

do they feel "bad" when they help these people ?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the act you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

 

[So]

Everything you do, have ever done, and ever will do, is in what you believe to be your own self interest (so long as you remain sane)...get used to it, deal with it, then realize that it doesn't make you evil and structure your philosophy around it.

 

[daveymark]

if you truly aren't selfish, then you won't brag about the homeless guy you gave a free meal to, or the charity you give all that money to.

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: daveymark
if you truly aren't selfish, then you won't brag about the homeless guy you gave a free meal to, or the charity you give all that money to.

note to self: no more bragging about that homeless guy.

 

[jyates]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the dead you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

Most of this Philosophy you are talking about is BS.

Sure, you get a sense of well being by helping someone else
but do you help others to get the "feeling" or is the "feeling"
a natural result of helping?

 

[daveymark]

Originally posted by: polm

Originally posted by: daveymark
if you truly aren't selfish, then you won't brag about the homeless guy you gave a free meal to, or the charity you give all that money to.

note to self: no more bragging about that homeless guy.

Don't forget the charity braggadocio as well

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: jyates

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the dead you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

Most of this Philosophy you are talking about is BS.

Sure, you get a sense of well being by helping someone else
but do you help others to get the "feeling" or is the "feeling"
a natural result of helping?

the chicken !


no...the egg.


no wait...the chicken !!

 

[jyates]

Originally posted by: polm

Originally posted by: jyates

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the dead you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

Most of this Philosophy you are talking about is BS.

Sure, you get a sense of well being by helping someone else
but do you help others to get the "feeling" or is the "feeling"
a natural result of helping?

the chicken !


no...the egg.


no wait...the chicken !!

Hey....remember you started the thread there buddy

 

[polm]

Originally posted by: jyates

Originally posted by: polm

Originally posted by: jyates

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the dead you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

Most of this Philosophy you are talking about is BS.

Sure, you get a sense of well being by helping someone else
but do you help others to get the "feeling" or is the "feeling"
a natural result of helping?

the chicken !


no...the egg.


no wait...the chicken !!

Hey....remember you started the thread there buddy

sorry. That thread about Pot must have given me a contact high.

truth is, I think your reaching.

Would you continue to perform these so called selfless acts if they caused you discomfort and no feeling of accomplishment, joy, etc. ??

 

[GasX]

helping others and contrbuting to society is just an advanced self serving behavior as ultimately you receive/expect some benefit from your actions...

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: jyates

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: jyates
I know people who help others without expecting anything in
return and they don't do it for a "power trip" either, so I don't
buy the concept that we all do things for others only to bolster
our own self image.

Thats BS.

when you do something for someone you always get something in return. It may not be a thank you or anything material. BUT you get a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Even if you discount that the dead you did helps society on a whole which helps you.

take a philosophy course. they look into this pretty well.

Most of this Philosophy you are talking about is BS.

Sure, you get a sense of well being by helping someone else
but do you help others to get the "feeling" or is the "feeling"
a natural result of helping?

that really does not matter.

the question is "is there any real "self-less" acts?" . you get a sense of satisfaction that makes you feel good and it does society good. It really does not matter if you set out to get the "feeling" or not the end result is you got it.

Also another theory (remember these are theory's not facts) is that by helping the homeless man you are helping society. Wich in a round about way helps you. again you may not have set out to do that but it happens.

 

[GiLtY]

Reminds me of a book that I've read like two years ago, it's called "The Selfish Gene". Basically the guy talks about how every action is the result of the gene wanting to survive. Early on in the book he talked about altruism and how true altruism is almost non-existant, an interest read if you are into biology/philosophy. BUT, the book is fairly pessimistic, so you have been warned .

--GiLtY

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: GiLtY
Reminds me of a book that I've read like two years ago, it's called "The Selfish Gene". Basically the guy talks about how every action is the result of the gene wanting to survive. Early on in the book he talked about altruism and how true altruism is almost non-existant, an interest read if you are into biology/philosophy. BUT, the book is fairly pessimistic, so you have been warned .

--GiLtY

richard dawkins

its not pessismistic... just realistic

 

[Zysoclaplem]

No. There are no 100% selfless acts.

 

[Kipper]

There are no such things as moral saints, and people always have an ulterior motive for doing things which can appear to be 'selfless.' This can include financial benefit, a sense of 'good feeling' from helping others, promises of rewards in the afterlife, hopes that the action will be repaid in the future, karmic good-feeling, etc. As Kant said, the only time when an action has moral worth (i.e. is praiseworthy) is when it is done out of a sense of duty and nothing else. The example he uses is of a man who has had a streak of nothing but bad luck - he is almost on the verge of suicide, but out of nothing but a sense of duty does he do a particular beneficial act, without regard for his own well-being or any other sort of thing.

Can anybody provide an example that altruistic people exist?