altruism

wolf

trivia

is a reaction formation against selfishness.

Altruism is a reaction formation against selfishness, and pity a reaction formation against cruelty (Freud 1915b, SE l4:281).

is necessarily egoism, or else it is sterile.

Human altruism which is not egoism, is sterile.

is necessarily self-serving. One cannot sincerely try to help another without helping oneself.

You cannot sincerely try to help another without helping yourself Ralph Waldo Emerson

is the opposite of self-interest in that it logically implies a view of men not as individuals pursuing what is best for them, but as sacrificial animals, as victims and parasites.

If it is true that what I mean by 'selfishness' is not what is meant conventionally, then this is one of the worst indictments of altruism: it means that altruism permits no concept of a self-respecting, self-supporting man a man who supports his life by his own effort and neither sacrifices himself nor others. It means that altruism permits no view of men except as sacrificial animals and profiteers-on-sacrifice, as victims and parasites that it permits no concept of a benevolent co-existence among men that it permits no concept of justice.

is that erroneous notion upon which a false ethics is erected, buttressed by religion and mythological monsters whose shadow falls across even physics and the entire perception of the world.

With what consequences is now very clearly apparent, since it has been demonstrated in many instances how the errors of the greatest philosophers usually have their point of departure in a false explanation of certain human actions and sensations... how on the basis of an erroneous analysis, for example that of the so-called unegoistic actions, a false ethics is erected, religion and mythological monsters are then in turn called upon to buttress it, and the shadow of these dismal spirits in the end falls across even physics and the entire perception of the world. (nietzsche 'human all too human' 32-3)

is the morality of the world, just as egoism is its moving force. These two contradictory instincts , of which one is so plain and the other so mysterious, cannot serve us unless in the incomprehensible alliance of their irreconcilable antagonism.

Egoism , which is the moving force of the world, and altruism , which is its morality , these two contradictory instincts , of which one is so plain and the other so mysterious, cannot serve us unless in the incomprehensible alliance of their irreconcilable antagonism. Joseph Conrad

is self-interst, for service is the highest form of self-interest.

Human service is the highest form of self-interest.

is about delayed recognition. The greatest pleasure known is to do a good action by stealth and have it found out by accident.

The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth and have it found out by accident.

altruism, n.All

altruism