Have you ever done something completely selfless?

[Lonyo]

I haven't, but by completely selfless I mean something that has positive impacts on other people, and negative ones for yourself.

I haven't really done anything even slightly selfless, but hey, if people hate me they hate me.

 

[tweakmm]

I think your definition of selfless is slightly skewed

 

[SoylentGreen]

There's no such thing.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
There's no such thing.

Agreed.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
I haven't, but by completely selfless I mean something that has positive impacts on other people, and negative ones for yourself.

I haven't really done anything even slightly selfless, but hey, if people hate me they hate me.

That's not a definition of selflessness. That's a definition of opression.

 

[Cuda1447]

Yes

 

[Siddhartha]

I have given blood. Usually I feel like crap for a day after donating the old red stuff.

 

[NakaNaka]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have given blood. Usually I feel like crap for a day after donating the old red stuff.

Yea but you still feel good about yourself. On Friends they brought this up, that there are no selfless acts because if you help someone out, you make yourself feel good about doing it.

 

[Spamela]

i've given money to people who had an emergency while knowing that there's little probability that i'll be repaid in full in my lifetime. there are other examples, too.
i'd also do it again.

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: NakaNaka

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have given blood. Usually I feel like crap for a day after donating the old red stuff.

Yea but you still feel good about yourself. On Friends they brought this up, that there are no selfless acts because if you help someone out, you make yourself feel good about doing it.

if you sacrifice your life trying to help someone, then you're not around to feel good about it (and some people do take acts knowing that they're probably going to die).

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Spamela

Originally posted by: NakaNaka

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have given blood. Usually I feel like crap for a day after donating the old red stuff.

Yea but you still feel good about yourself. On Friends they brought this up, that there are no selfless acts because if you help someone out, you make yourself feel good about doing it.

if you sacrifice your life trying to help someone, then you're not around to feel good about it (and some people do take acts knowing that they're probably going to die).

But they know that they will be branded as heroes even after they are gone so thats still a selfish act.

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Spamela

Originally posted by: NakaNaka

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
I have given blood. Usually I feel like crap for a day after donating the old red stuff.

Yea but you still feel good about yourself. On Friends they brought this up, that there are no selfless acts because if you help someone out, you make yourself feel good about doing it.

if you sacrifice your life trying to help someone, then you're not around to feel good about it (and some people do take acts knowing that they're probably going to die).

But they know that they will be branded as heroes even after they are gone so thats still a selfish act.

most "heroic" acts are forgotten pretty soon, plus i doubt that anyone egocentric enough to want such a reputation would be willing to sacrifice their life to get it.

 

[Geekbabe]

Have I done things that were more slanted towards the best interests of my loved ones than myself? sure have,that's why I have loved ones.Also,on a less altrustic note,sometimes being selfless in the short term bring + self gain in the long term

 

[Mr N8]

I find it hilarious that you base your meaning of the word on the show "Friends." A selfless act would imply to me, that there are no tangible rewards to yourself for doing it. Accourding to Websters, it means generous and not concerned with one's own welfare.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
Have I done things that were more slanted towards the best interests of my loved ones than myself? sure have,that's why I have loved ones.Also,on a less altrustic note,sometimes being selfless in the short term bring + self gain in the long term

But knowing that you would gain something later on, it would be a selfish act.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
Have I done things that were more slanted towards the best interests of my loved ones than myself? sure have,that's why I have loved ones.Also,on a less altrustic note,sometimes being selfless in the short term bring + self gain in the long term

But knowing that you would gain something later on, it would be a selfish act.

We live in a I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine world

 

I killed my father, he was suffering from cancer, terminal cancer, he was hooked up to life support equipment, I pulled the plug.

I still feel like sh!t to this day, it stopped his horrible suffering, now is this considered a selfless act ?

 

[gopunk]

most "heroic" acts are forgotten pretty soon, plus i doubt that anyone egocentric enough to want such a reputation would be willing to sacrifice their life to get it.

by the sheer fact that they chose to engage in whatever act they did, means it was not selfless. doesn't really matter for what reason they felt compelled to do it... fact is, they felt compelled, and they acted to satisfy that need.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: Roger
I killed my father, he was suffering from cancer, terminal cancer, he was hooked up to life support equipment, I pulled the plug.

I still feel like sh!t to this day, it stopped his horrible suffering, now is this considered a selfless act ?

How hard that must have been and how sad that you feel badly still over doing what I would want my family to do to help me if I were that ill.

 

[ohtwell]

I know this isn't really selfless but once I saw that a dryer wasn't spinning. I took the ladies clothes out and moved them to another dryer and started the other dryer. I also left her a note telling her where her clothes had been moved. It only cost me 75 cents. Just knowing that I helped was great.


: ) Amanda

 

[ohtwell]

Originally posted by: Roger
I killed my father, he was suffering from cancer, terminal cancer, he was hooked up to life support equipment, I pulled the plug.

I still feel like sh!t to this day, it stopped his horrible suffering, now is this considered a selfless act ?

I can't imagine how hard that must have been.

I think that was a very selfless act!


: ) Amanda

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
I know this isn't really selfless but once I saw that a dryer wasn't spinning. I took the ladies clothes out and moved them to another dryer and started the other dryer. I also left her a note telling her where her clothes had been moved. It only cost me 75 cents but just knowing that I helped was great.

: ) Amanda

 

[SilverThief]

killed my father, he was suffering from cancer, terminal cancer, he was hooked up to life support equipment, I pulled the plug.

Roger how much courage that must have taken. Dont think of it as killing him, more as you were releasing him from what had to have been some terrible pain and suffering. I'm sure its what he would have wanted if he could have conveyed that to you.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: ohtwell

Originally posted by: Roger
I killed my father, he was suffering from cancer, terminal cancer, he was hooked up to life support equipment, I pulled the plug.

I still feel like sh!t to this day, it stopped his horrible suffering, now is this considered a selfless act ?

I can't imagine how hard that must have been.

I think that was a very selfless act!


: ) Amanda

I was going to say something about this, but then I realised I can't comment because I could never have the emotional strength to do something like that.

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: gopunk

most "heroic" acts are forgotten pretty soon, plus i doubt that anyone egocentric enough to want such a reputation would be willing to sacrifice their life to get it.

by the sheer fact that they chose to engage in whatever act they did, means it was not selfless. doesn't really matter for what reason they felt compelled to do it... fact is, they felt compelled, and they acted to satisfy that need.

i assume you mean that some people couldn't live with the guilt of knowing that they failed to act when they could have made a difference.

i think whether or not a person believes that truly selfless acts exist depends on how cynical one is, and
i suppose a certain level of that would cause one to believe that there are no heros, since one would think that nobody could be motivated by sincere altruism.