How would someone perform a TRULY self-less act?
When people help others they usually (maybe sub-consciously) do it to feel good themselves or because they think they will get something good in return (friend ship, a favour etc). Not that theres anything wrong with that. For an act to be truly self-less wouldn’t it have to be something that the individual didn’t like or was bad for them? Does such an act where no previous perceived benefits can be thought of exist?
Surprisingly I thing this is an issue Friends once touched on.
Answers:
Smellyteddy says:
"I have thought about this long and hard. Even if you give money to charity Anonymously and never tell any one you ever did it your feelings would still make you feel good. However there is a way to do a truley self-les act that is to give up your life to save some one else. For example if you see some one drowning in the sea, say in a rip-current, and you jump in and manage to get them out of the rip currrent. However you yourself are unable to get out of the rip current and die, that would be a truley self-less act as you would not have enough time to feel proud for youself or to think that you will be a hero."
there is no such thing as an altruistic act
there just isnt
Get someone else to do it, and not take the credit!
A truely selfless act would be sacrificing something to help or make someone else happy without having any second thoughts about doing it.
OK, what about if you saw someone about to be hit by a car and you pushed them out of the way? What about taking a bullet for someone?
I don't think there is such an act if you are even ruling out feeling good about it sub-consciously. But i have paid for things for people and no one knows it. I have walked up to people and told them to have fun and given them free passes into the zoo. I think every time you have the chance to do a random act of kindness you should. You don't need praise for everything you do.
If helping and being kind to others makes you feel good as well - that is not a crime. You do not need to hate what you are doing to be performing a selfless act.
Volunteer at a thrift shop, charity org, homeless shelter, food bank, etc. If you have a couple of spare bucks once in a while, get some gift cards to fast food places - and give them to the homeless who beg for money. If you have any talents (hair cutting; artistic; bi-lingual ability, etc.), you could help people in need - using the abilities you have. You could tutor people in a subject you are good in, or even become a Big (Brother/Sister) to a poor child (or one whose parents work all day). Hospitals often need volunteers to do various chores, and schools sometimes need volunteers.
It's a co related act relates self with the others. Just by helping your self in daily life chorus, indirectly U R helping many others in many ways which is invisible, even to yourself, & may B considered as an self less act for example, as per my own assumptions. That's how our life goes on. It's a base in nature.
There are plenty of opportunites for altruistic acts, which basically is doing anything that needs to be done for the sole fact it has to be done.
Examples would be the ultimate sacrifice of your life for another, as nobody wants to die but you have a choice of which of you dies. Another less dramatic one is the unhappy relationship. Say you're in love with someone but you see they're unhappy in the relationship, so if you let them go it is for their benefit and isn't something you wanted.
Feeling good about something can be seen as a perk to helping out but is rarely thought of when actually doing something, whether it is detrimental to you or not.
Saving a life, it's just something we do as human beings when someone is in danger.
The opposite is true as well, we enjoy killing the ones who need killing.
the only way i can think of is to do something really nice for someone and keep it annonymous - do u understand where i am coming from?
The only truly self-less act is one you are unaware of doing.
If you are luck you will find out later that you did something that benefited someone but the doing of it was selfless.
Okay, take a self test act in all the situations below;
Get into a room and greet nobody
Get in the room and greet the people you find there.
Receive some thing from some one but decide keep your mouth shut.
Receive some thing from some one and remember to show you are grateful.
Let some one borrow some treasure from you but decide not to bring back to you.
Now tell yourself the truth; which of the actions above makes you feel the next best?
By doing something that benefitted somebody else instead of them. Such as clearing up.
ok so theres a really grumpy guy and all he cares about is money. money money money! so one day he goes online to purchase some new pantalon (he's french) but is having trouble relating to personal identity and freedom. on top of this, his wife keeps saying that children are dying in africa "and you are doing nothing about this Claude!" now, Claude is pretty eccentric. he likes to dress up as a pixie and sing about rainbow dream houses. he doesnt care for anyone - bar him. suddenly Claude realises he has too much money and gives some to "those money bins" as he calls them, charity. after doing this, he feels like poop. he is really depressed but never expected anything from putting his money in the money bin, because the thought never even crossed him mind that he would be helping those kids in africa. is this the end of my answer? no! i never even started it.
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Surprisingly I thing this is an issue Friends once touched on.
Answers:
Smellyteddy says:
"I have thought about this long and hard. Even if you give money to charity Anonymously and never tell any one you ever did it your feelings would still make you feel good. However there is a way to do a truley self-les act that is to give up your life to save some one else. For example if you see some one drowning in the sea, say in a rip-current, and you jump in and manage to get them out of the rip currrent. However you yourself are unable to get out of the rip current and die, that would be a truley self-less act as you would not have enough time to feel proud for youself or to think that you will be a hero."
there is no such thing as an altruistic act
there just isnt
Get someone else to do it, and not take the credit!
A truely selfless act would be sacrificing something to help or make someone else happy without having any second thoughts about doing it.
OK, what about if you saw someone about to be hit by a car and you pushed them out of the way? What about taking a bullet for someone?
I don't think there is such an act if you are even ruling out feeling good about it sub-consciously. But i have paid for things for people and no one knows it. I have walked up to people and told them to have fun and given them free passes into the zoo. I think every time you have the chance to do a random act of kindness you should. You don't need praise for everything you do.
If helping and being kind to others makes you feel good as well - that is not a crime. You do not need to hate what you are doing to be performing a selfless act.
Volunteer at a thrift shop, charity org, homeless shelter, food bank, etc. If you have a couple of spare bucks once in a while, get some gift cards to fast food places - and give them to the homeless who beg for money. If you have any talents (hair cutting; artistic; bi-lingual ability, etc.), you could help people in need - using the abilities you have. You could tutor people in a subject you are good in, or even become a Big (Brother/Sister) to a poor child (or one whose parents work all day). Hospitals often need volunteers to do various chores, and schools sometimes need volunteers.
It's a co related act relates self with the others. Just by helping your self in daily life chorus, indirectly U R helping many others in many ways which is invisible, even to yourself, & may B considered as an self less act for example, as per my own assumptions. That's how our life goes on. It's a base in nature.
There are plenty of opportunites for altruistic acts, which basically is doing anything that needs to be done for the sole fact it has to be done.
Examples would be the ultimate sacrifice of your life for another, as nobody wants to die but you have a choice of which of you dies. Another less dramatic one is the unhappy relationship. Say you're in love with someone but you see they're unhappy in the relationship, so if you let them go it is for their benefit and isn't something you wanted.
Feeling good about something can be seen as a perk to helping out but is rarely thought of when actually doing something, whether it is detrimental to you or not.
Saving a life, it's just something we do as human beings when someone is in danger.
The opposite is true as well, we enjoy killing the ones who need killing.
the only way i can think of is to do something really nice for someone and keep it annonymous - do u understand where i am coming from?
The only truly self-less act is one you are unaware of doing.
If you are luck you will find out later that you did something that benefited someone but the doing of it was selfless.
Okay, take a self test act in all the situations below;
Get into a room and greet nobody
Get in the room and greet the people you find there.
Receive some thing from some one but decide keep your mouth shut.
Receive some thing from some one and remember to show you are grateful.
Let some one borrow some treasure from you but decide not to bring back to you.
Now tell yourself the truth; which of the actions above makes you feel the next best?
By doing something that benefitted somebody else instead of them. Such as clearing up.
ok so theres a really grumpy guy and all he cares about is money. money money money! so one day he goes online to purchase some new pantalon (he's french) but is having trouble relating to personal identity and freedom. on top of this, his wife keeps saying that children are dying in africa "and you are doing nothing about this Claude!" now, Claude is pretty eccentric. he likes to dress up as a pixie and sing about rainbow dream houses. he doesnt care for anyone - bar him. suddenly Claude realises he has too much money and gives some to "those money bins" as he calls them, charity. after doing this, he feels like poop. he is really depressed but never expected anything from putting his money in the money bin, because the thought never even crossed him mind that he would be helping those kids in africa. is this the end of my answer? no! i never even started it.
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