Does altruism exist or is it just a word?

[devilof76]

Then stop wasting his time, deceiving him into thinking that you give a damn, and using him to feel better about yourself. That's ____ing despicable.

Bub.

 

[devilof76]

...too harsh?

 

[ChunkyZergling]

...too harsh?

No. No comprende. I do give a damn. He likes to talk and let out his frustrations and such. So I listen. I understand some stuff but if he starts talking about something a little complicated no one can understand him.

 

[ChunkyZergling]

Bub? You want me to SNIKT out my claws and slice you up?

 

[devilof76]

Sure. I'm game.

If you care, then it's all good, but don't make an old man think you want to listen to him if you don't.

 

[thenammagazine]

I didn't say they were. I'm trying to help you.


Go read your post again. You said they are the same thing.

Freudian slip.

 

[Maglor]

Oh, snap!

 

[agonistes86]

Generosity and altruism aren't the same thing. There's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy helping a person out. Altruism is the idea that you have a duty to do it, and that your motivation should not be any kind of benefit to yourself. If you hated the idea of talking to the guy, and did it anyway, then it would be altruistic. If it would have caused you to lose out on something that was extremely important to you (more important to you than helping the old man), and you did it anyway, then it would be even more altruistic.

But is it even possible to act altruistic? If you disregard everything that's more important to you and talk to the guy instead, you've made a conscious decision to do it, which much be based on some kind of reason. And as soon as there's a reason, it isn't altruistic anymore because you act based on what you decide.

Haven't read every single post on this thread, so I might have missed it, but do you believe that altruism exists/is possible? And if yes, do you have an example? I'm genuinely interested.

 

[Maglor]

Devilof76 definitely believes that altruism exists. And he hates it. Rational self interest is the only true virtue, so altruism is evil. The ultimate evil even.

Bottom line = paying your taxes is altruistic. Therefore taxes are evil, and he shouldn't have to pay them.


Is that about right D?

 

[thenammagazine]

 

[agonistes86]

Devilof76 definitely believes that altruism exists. And he hates it. Rational self interest is the only true virtue, so altruism is evil. The ultimate evil even.

Bottom line = paying your taxes is altruistic. Therefore taxes are evil, and he shouldn't have to pay them.


Is that about right D?

Not sure if you're serious about the bolded part, but just in case you are, in the least, you pay taxes so that you don't go to prison, which is self-preservation and far from altruism.

I'm genuinely interested in a realistic example of altruism, because I haven't found one yet.

 

[Maglor]

I'm not saying I agree. But, lets wait for Devil's response.


At the very least I think he would say that the government's demanding that it's citizens pay taxes is forced altruism... or something like that.

 

[devilof76]

Taxes are a blatant initiation of force, and that is why they're wrong.

Altruism is just the knuckledragger justification for that transgression.

 

[Maglor]

I knew it was something like that...

 

[devilof76]

Give me your lunch money. I need it. Don't be selfish.

 

[Maglor]

 

[devilof76]

Extra crispy?

 

[Maglor]

Of course!

One for each of us.

No way I can eat two.

 

[Devil_666]

Is this like a suicide pact!?

 

[devilof76]

They're perfectly safe.

I plan on having Maglor arrested for lunch money theft evasion and eating them both myself.