Who is an altruist? An altruist is the highest degree of an egoist or its complete opposite.
According to the definitions, altruism is a disinterested concern for the welfare of other people. Selflessness can be attributed to the manifestation of altruism - the sacrifice of one's personal interests for the sake of another person. Altruism is interpreted as a kind of good, the highest manifestation of virtue.
The concept of altruism
The term "altruism" (from the Latin "alter" - "other") was French and "father" - Auguste Comte. According to Comte, a kind of altruism: "Live for others." It is worth noting that the concept was identified on the basis of long-term observations of people's behavior. It turned out that very many, even notorious scoundrels and criminals, love someone in their lives, and these people are taken care of. And for the sake of loved ones, many are ready to step over their own principles, beliefs, to provide assistance, assistance in anything.
There have been many observations, experiments, in order to find out the ability of people to care for others completely disinterestedly. The results show that people are capable of this, but revealing the true motives can be very difficult.
Altruism and selfishness
Altruism, of course, is opposed to selfishness, which is presented as a kind of manifestation of evil. Unlike altruism, selfishness presupposes the dominance of one's own interests over public ones. To some extent, it is generally accepted that selfishness is something bad, vicious. However, it should be understood that neither altruism nor egoism are "ultimate truths", and with a high degree of certainty it can be argued that both are virtues in reasonable proportions.
Almost every person has both altruistic and selfish inclinations. Imposed care can have an effect opposite to the altruist's expectations. And the rejection of one's own goals, dreams can hardly be perceived as a pure blessing. The unfulfillment of one's own desires very often entails unhappiness in life.
It should be understood that both altruism and egoism in their pure form practically do not exist. The all-embracing benevolence and similar selfishness actually makes sense within the context. Perhaps most people will be able, after delving into themselves, to agree with the statement that most often people are altruists and egoists in relation to specific individuals, groups of the population, and not to all inhabitants of the globe.
who are altruists?
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- Altruist - a person with moral principles that prescribe selfless actions aimed at the benefit and satisfaction of the interests of another person (other people)
- Kind people.
- Those who do not think about themselves are ready to do everything for the good of others. Antipode of Egoists.
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- Good guys
- Who is an altruist?
An altruist, according to the classical definition, is a person who acts according to the principle: try to donate more often and give unselfishly to other people.
Sacrifice strength, time, sometimes money. They give what they sometimes need, as well as much other attention, care and affection.
It would seem that life with an altruist is wonderful; he strives to give, take care, without demanding anything in return.
But classical altruists, it turns out, also cause irritation. Not so long ago, an experiment was conducted in which, in a collective game, live players (as stated to the participants), one per team, were replaced by soulless computers.
One of them was given an algorithm for the behavior of a miser and a miser, the other a disinterested altruistic angel. And what would you think? The indignation of teammates was in both cases!
Why do altruists cause so much discontent? After all, they bring goodness, peace, understanding to the lives of the people around them!
But in fact, there are not one secret, but two whole interconnected with each other.
Firstly, it is difficult for any person to be absolutely disinterested. Well, how easy is it to take and do? At least feel satisfaction and pleasure to receive moral compensation. Reaffirm your worth in your own eyes. Compliance with certain internal regulations. Get stroking I'm good.
Secondly, and this is related to the first secret, no one wants to be worse.
The social contract is tied to the fact that we do not tell each other the truth. In any case, the whole truth that we think.Many people think of themselves: Oh, I'm good! There are plenty of reasons to say this about yourself. And only, perhaps, persons close to sociopaths (or even healthy, but very rarely and in suitable situations) are able to sincerely enjoy Oh, I'm bad! Great!
It turns out that next to such an altruistic altruist, no matter how hard you try, you feel worse. For example, just an altruist. Or a simple good person who will come to the rescue. But he will take off his last shirt only in the most extreme case.
Therefore, altruist is a relative concept. And the more altruist will be with you (or even worse to do you good, to benefit), the more you will be annoyed. And, in the end, you will find how to slam this person in your eyes.
Because in our own eyes we are always the most altruistic, the kindest, the most reasonable And that's okay! :)
Another thing is that you can still talk a lot about why people become altruists. How is it that an altruist feels the good done to another person more pleasant than his own. After all, in theory, it should be the other way around, first of all, provide for yourself and your needs, secondly, also for yourself, and then give the rest to people
Masyanya, TO ALTRUISTS IN THIS WORLD.... live.... IT'S NOT EASY. But .... if they weren't there, TWO-LEGED ... "would have devoured" all living things. Alas....
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
Those who do something just for the sake of making others feel good. And they don't ask for anything in return. - Altruist and egoist are antonyms, that is, opposite in meaning.
If an egoist loves only himself,
then an altruist loves people!
So, let's figure out what it means to be an altruist. As they say in the common people, an altruist is a person in whose character there is an insatiable desire to help and please everyone to the detriment of even their own personal desires and needs. In psychology, altruism (from Latin alter - another) is described as self-sacrifice and unrequited love for another person.
And everything would seem prosaically clear - society should be based on such individuals, but not everything is so simple.
What personality traits are characteristic of an altruist?
An altruist will always give a helping hand: he will rush in the middle of the night to support a friend, take a grandmother across the road, buy a candy for a crying child, and, in the end, push a frightened kitten out of a tree.
Such people are soft and calm, they do not try to talk much about themselves - listen more often. They are distinguished from the crowd by excessive modesty. They always rejoice in the success of others, and this interest in the fate of others is genuine, sincere. They never raise their voice. They will point out their guilt if it was not even close.
When they make promises, they always keep them, regardless of whether it is convenient for them or not. Such a person will never let you down and never betray.
And, sadly, such people are often used.
Egoist and altruist - two opposites
Altruists are used by egoists - strong personalities who, on a subconscious and conscious level, want to satisfy their needs by any available means. Egoists do not consider the interests of others. True, they can disguise that they are doing something for the good of their neighbor, but the ultimate goal is to achieve their own at the expense of other people's desires and capabilities. The egoist takes his own without asking. The egoist steps over principles and morality, walks by leaps and bounds on the career ladder, leaving behind the gullible altruist. The most interesting thing is that the altruist will also help such a person and will sincerely rejoice at his ups and downs.
The main difference between such personalities is that the altruist disinterestedly gives, and the egoist, without a twinge of conscience, accepts, takes away and does not want to return the good.
Altruist Syndrome
When a person gives his whole soul just to please a loved one, that's good. But when an altruist forgets about himself, it is already dangerous, dangerous for himself. Altruists sacrifice everything: strength, time, and even health. They do not think about their sincere desires. This condition can be safely called the “altruist syndrome”.
How to become an altruist?
It also happens that after a long struggle on the career ladder, frequent mistreatment of subordinates, or many years of self-serving use of one's friends and relatives, one comes to understand that all this does not bring happiness.
I want to do something good 
pleasing to your neighbor. Give a chance to show that you are not a bad person. You can start with small acts of kindness: hang a feeder, help someone cross the road, give money to someone in need.
We have considered the question of what an altruist is, but the moment about whether it is worth it to be is not clear. Our world dictates such conditions that if you completely surrender to this, then they will simply start using you. It is necessary to find the line between forced egoism, when it is important to defend one's interests, and those moments when one can really bring good to one's neighbor.
To understand the phenomenon of altruism, the easiest way is to bring the opposite concept - egoism. Indeed, altruism and egoism are concepts that are always found side by side, they are often cited as an example in order to strengthen, brighten the meaning and principle of one of them.
And if egoists are considered people of not the best qualities, condemning their indifference to others, then altruistic behavior causes admiration, joy and many other positive emotions in people.
After all, an altruist is a person who will help everyone, will lend his reliable hand in difficult times, will not leave you in trouble. He is not indifferent to the grief of others, and the problems of those around him are sometimes more important than his own. It is to him that they rush for help or even simple advice, knowing that this wonderful person will not turn away.
And the opposite of altruism, human selfishness, is often considered a vice and condemned. However, sometimes altruism is confused with mercy, kindness, or even simple weakness. But in fact, it has some features, among which:
- Selflessness - a person does his good exclusively for nothing, without expecting anything in return.
- Priority - other people's interests are always put in the forefront of personal interests.
- Sacrifice is the willingness to sacrifice one's money, time, pleasure, and so on for the sake of others.
- Voluntariness - only a conscious and voluntary choice can be considered altruism.
- Satisfaction - a person receives joy and is satisfied that he sacrifices for others without feeling disadvantaged.
- Responsibility - a person is ready to bear it, doing certain actions.
The main principle of altruism, as defined by the psychologist and philosopher Auguste Comte, is to live for the sake of people, and not for yourself. Such a person is selfless and does not expect anything in return when he does a good deed. He is not characterized by an egoistic type of behavior, he does not put career, personal development or any other interests in the first place. Altruism can be an innate quality of character in a person, it can be acquired intentionally or it can manifest itself over the years, and at any age.
Types and examples
Altruism implies selfless help, sacrifice and life for the sake of humanity. But there are a variety of types of altruism that can complement each other, combined in one person, and can exist separately:
2. Parental. This altruistic type is characteristic of many mothers, sometimes fathers, and it manifests itself in sacrifice for the good of children. This behavior is habitual and natural, but irrational. The mother is ready to give her life and all the blessings for the sake of the child, lives for him, forgetting about her own interests.
3. Social altruism is a type of behavior in which a person tries to show disinterested support and help loved ones, that is, friends, family members, people from close circles fall under the scope of his help.
4. The demonstrative type of altruism is a scenario of behavior that is carried out not consciously, but because "it is necessary."
5. Sympathetic - perhaps the rarest type. Such a person knows how to empathize, acutely feels someone else's pain and understands what others feel. Therefore, he always strives to help, improve someone's situation, and, which is typical, always brings what he has started to the end, not limited to partial help.
There are many such examples in history. Among them, spiritual figures stand out especially - Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa - the list can be continued for a long time. They gave their lives from beginning to end to selfless service to people. Can you imagine that, for example, the Buddha had some personal interests of his own?
On the way to perfection
Now, inspired by the examples, everyone will want to know - how to become an altruist, what needs to be done for this? But before moving on to this issue, it’s worth first clearly understanding whether it’s good to be a 100% altruist, whether there are disadvantages and hidden nuances to this quality, and what psychology says about this.
Healthy egoism, shown in moderation, will not cause any harm and, on the contrary, is even needed. Thinking about your own interests, protecting them, taking care of yourself, striving for benefits, development and personal growth, understanding your desires and respecting them - are these the qualities of a bad person? On the contrary, it characterizes a strong and conscious personality. Where did such a negative attitude towards egoism come from?
Most often, a person who strives for his own good is condemned by people like him, but those who expect any help from him (although he, in fact, is not obliged). Not getting the expected, they begin to condemn him. And if this happens at an early age, when the personality and psyche are just being formed, then the result is obvious - a person blocks healthy egoism in himself, considering it a vice, and begins to live to the detriment of himself.
And, since extremes are bad in everything, then altruistic behavior in the extreme degree of its manifestation is not necessarily holiness. Before becoming an altruist and rushing to help the suffering, it is worth understanding your motives. Selfless service to the world and humanity should be precisely selfless, and this is not so easy. There are a number of hidden motives that psychology notes in the manifestations of intentional altruism. In other words, this is the goal for which a person tries to do good deeds:
- Self-confidence. Helping others, a person gains confidence in his abilities, feels that he can do something. It is noticed that it is for others that a person is able to do more than for himself.
- Making amends for bad deeds. Sometimes people are interested in altruism who either did a serious bad deed, or lived not quite right for a long time and caused other people a lot of pain. This is very good if a person has come to such changes, but it is worth realizing that in this case you need to completely change yourself, and not count bad and good deeds, as if paying off your own conscience.
- Manifestation and assertion of oneself in society. If altruism has negative examples, then this is the case. Such a person defiantly does good, and if he donates or does charity work, he attracts a maximum of witnesses. Altruism, by definition, has nothing to do with self-interest, so such behavior is far from true sacrifice.
- Manipulation of people. Another negative example of how a person does good deeds for their own selfish goals. He helps relatives and friends, does a lot for friends, is ready to help, but with the goal of manipulating them and receiving respect, dependence, love in return.
Perhaps the only goal that can be subconsciously pursued by a true altruist is a feeling of happiness and harmony with the world and with oneself. After all, even the meaning of the word “altruist” itself comes from “other”, that is, a person who thinks about others, so what kind of self-interest can we talk about!
How to begin to change, what rules to learn true altruism, so as not to go to extremes, not to forget about their own interests, but at the same time get happiness from helping others? The main thing is voluntariness and the lack of a clear plan. Just help someone in need, do it secretly, without demonstrating your achievement, and feel inner satisfaction. There are so many who need help!
You don't have to be rich to help. Indeed, warm words of support, empathy, and attention matter in altruism. The most valuable thing you can donate is your time! Don't forget your loved ones. It is a very sad situation in which a person actively and fanatically helps the homeless, animals and the poor, spending all his time on this, and at home the family suffers from a lack of his attention. Give your soul to people, give yourself, and you will be surprised how much inner light you have, and how much you get by giving! Author: Vasilina Serova
Hello dear friends and guests of my blog! Today I will touch on the topic - altruism, talk about the meaning of this word and give examples. An altruist is a person who acts selflessly without expecting anything in return. It seems to me that now this is very relevant, and our society needs to awaken these wonderful qualities in itself. I hope my article will help you with this.
The word altruist is completely opposite in meaning to the word egoist. That is, this is a person who cares about others, performs deeds and deeds that benefit society, even to the detriment of himself. This concept was introduced by the French sociologist Auguste Comte. In his opinion, the main principle of altruism is to live for others. Of course, I don’t really like the word damage, since disinterestedness, it’s still not to act out of inferiority, but most likely out of abundance. This abundance is not necessarily manifested in some material wealth of a person, rather it is an abundance of the soul and heart. In the article about, I already touched on this topic a little.
There is a similar concept of philontropy (from the Greek. philanthropy). Philanthropists are people who do charity work. The simplest form of philanthropy is to give alms to those in need.
The characteristic qualities of an altruistic personality are kindness, responsiveness, empathy, activity, compassion. People who are prone to altruism have a well-functioning heart chakra. Outwardly, they can be recognized by their eyes, which radiate a warm radiance. As a rule, altruistic individuals are optimists. Instead of wasting time depressing and complaining about the world, they just make it a better place.
Examples of Altruistic Activities
Properties of altruistic deeds may differ in different sexes. As a rule, in women they have a longer duration. For example, they often put an end to their careers for the benefit of their families. And men, on the contrary, are characterized by momentary heroic impulses: to pull a person out of a fire, to throw himself on an embrasure. As during the Great Patriotic War, Alexander Matrosov and many other unknown heroes did this.
The desire to help others is inherent in all living beings. This is true even for animals. For example, dolphins help their wounded brethren stay afloat, they can swim for long hours under the sick, pushing him to the surface so that he can breathe. Cats, dogs, foxes, walruses take care of orphaned cubs as if they were their own.
Also, altruism can include volunteering, donation, mentoring (only on condition that the teacher does not charge a fixed fee for this).
Famous people altruists
Some altruistic acts are so powerful in their depth that they go down in history for a long time. So, during the Second World War, the German industrialist Oskar Schindler became famous throughout the world for saving about 1,000 Jews who worked at his factory from death. Schindler was not a righteous man, but in saving his workers, he made many sacrifices: he spent a lot of money to pay off officials, he risked going to jail. In honor of him, a book was written and the film "Schindrer's List" was shot. Of course, he could not have known that this would bring glory to him, so this act can be considered truly altruistic.
The real altruists include the Russian doctor Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz. He devoted his life to serving humanity, for which he was called the "holy doctor." Fyodor Petrovich helped poor people with medicines, mitigated the fate of prisoners and exiles. His favorite words, which can be made a motto for altruists, are: “Hurry up to do good! Know how to forgive, desire reconciliation, overcome evil with good. Try to raise the fallen, soften the embittered, correct the morally destroyed.
Famous altruists include any spiritual teachers and mentors (Christ, Buddha, Prabhupada, etc.) who help people become better. They give their time, energy, and sometimes their lives, without demanding anything in return.
The best reward for them can be that the students accepted the knowledge and embarked on the path of spiritual development.
Hidden motives
As I have already said, in our souls there is a natural desire to take care of the world around us and people, because we are all interconnected. But sometimes the mind takes precedence over the impulses of the heart. In such cases, selfishness and concern only for one's own good wake up in a person.
I'll give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will write his house to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the original goal pursued by this girl is not helping a person, but the immediate benefit after that.
But sometimes people are pushed to do good deeds by such motives that may not be clear even to the altruist himself. Let's take a closer look at these ulterior motives.
Self-promotion
Increasingly, good deeds (disinterested at first glance) are performed in order to increase one's reputation. World stars without exception engaged in charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the “potlatch effect”, in honor of the Native American ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp feuds arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but it was an unusual battle. Each leader of the tribe arranged a feast, to which he called his enemies. He generously treated them and presented expensive gifts. Thus, they showed their power and wealth.
Personal sympathy
The most common motive for altruistic acts is sympathy. It is more pleasant for people to help those they like, their friends and loved ones. In some ways, this motive intersects with self-promotion, because one of its goals is to arouse the respect of people dear to us. But still there is a significant difference, because there is love for neighbors.
Ennui
Some people devote their whole lives to altruistic deeds and service to society, while not experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving other people's souls so as not to hear a cry for help from his own.
True selflessness
True altruism has two important principles - it is disinterestedness and spiritual satisfaction from a good deed done.
Let's consider such a situation. A man on crutches walks beside you and drops his glasses. What will you do? I'm sure you'll pick them up and give them to him without the thought that he should do something nice for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. What will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then it does not smell like true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act warms your soul, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.
A real altruist does not seek material gain (glory, honor, respect), his goal is much higher. By providing selfless help to others, our soul becomes purer and brighter, and, accordingly, the whole world becomes a little better, because everything in it is interconnected.
And in the highest manifestation, true altruism is serving God, and serving other living beings, through the prism of understanding that they are particles of the Lord, without expecting anything in return.
In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sat on the head” of an altruist, it is necessary to develop awareness in oneself. Then you will be able to distinguish between those who really need help and those who are just trying to use you.
Video
In conclusion, I want to tell you a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures, which illustrates the manifestation of real altruism and selflessness. Watch the video.
Ruslan Tsvirkun wrote for you. I wish you spiritual growth and development. Help your friends with this and share useful information with them. If you have any clarifying questions, do not hesitate to ask, I will be happy to answer them.