Hangover thought from Thursdays Post...
Something about this thought has left me unsettled and about 3:30 AM last night I began to work it out.
The card is proof we are selfish. We would not help the business proprietor reach his dream at any cost to us. Which doing something for someone else of no benefit to you is the definition of being altruistic. The truly selfless and righteous act in this situation is to turn the lights off to help the business man get rich.
Yet we will not act until there is something in it for us....such as the good feeling we get from the illusion of helping the environment. Or the by products of a cleaner world.
Our care for the world to be clean for our future pleasure and existence is our greed. It is our selfishness.
Selfishness is our virtue it is not something to be demonized.
2 comments:
selfishness can be good or evil depending upon how it is used... virtue or vice? whether or not someone or something else gets hurt through selfishness is the true measurement. I do not agree with you that "our care for the world to be clean for our future pleasure and existence is our greed", I believe that our greed lies in the decision to make a profit or benefit from something without the consideration of others and how it may negatively impact them, whether it be the earth or another human being, greed is selfishness with no consideration of others..... on the other hand selfishness with thoughtfully, kind intent is something to be admired
amen. there is no true altruism, but ideas of reciprocal altruism are the foundation for evolutionary advancement. here's an article you might like.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/magazine/13Psychology-t.html?ex=1360126800&en=d32868ab58437ed6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
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