How America seems to be completely and utterly fucked.

Chagen

There really is no true altruism. Even the "altruism" we have today is for some other goal--money, power, good image. We do altruistic acts to look good in front of our peers--if there was no incentive to do them, then I bet most people wouldn't do them at all.

Tnu1138

Humans are inherently selfish you can't change that through legislation. It just doesn't work.

Vivi

Most Chagen, not all.

Forzare

There really is no true altruism. Even the "altruism" we have
today is for some other goal--money, power, good image. We do altruistic
acts to look good in front of our peers

hahaha

hahahahha

bahahahahahahaha

Chagen

^^ And the 10% who actually do altruistic acts wouldn't be enough to actually do anything.

Forzare: Humans may not be complete bastards, but we are falliable, selfish creatures.

Tnu1138

Oh god you realize how annoying that is right Forzare?

RedEyedAbyss

"We do altruistic acts to look good in front of our peers"

We? Oh, how I love psychological projection.

And you act like selfishness and altruism are incompatible with each other.

^

Forzare

And not everyone is the same amount of selfish.

I do altruistic things when I can because I like the feeling that helping people gives me, that I know I made someone's life a little better, no matter how small. 

I seriously doubt that I'm the only one who feels this way.

Chagen

I'm not projecting anything, and selfish people tend to not do acts for others. Because, you know, that is the direct opposite of selfishness.

RedEyedAbyss

On the contrary. Often helping others comes with benefits for oneself later along the line, even if you don't think so immediately.

"I do altruistic things when I can because I like the feeling that helping people gives me, that I know I made someone's life a little better, no matter how small."

Same. It may be somewhat selfish, but it has a mutual benefit.

Stormtroper

Problem of love, eh?



I agree with Abyss Worm, it might be selfish if you're strict about the word, but same thing.

IanExMachina

Sooo, Tnu if there is no altruism then surely the state must step in to provide healthcare and welfare, as the rest of society is inherently selfish!

GLORIOUSLeader

Ya ya Ayn Rand ya ya Tnu ya ya politics ya ya ya. 

Chagen

There's nothing saying that the state isn't selfish themselves. If it's made out of selfish people, it's bound to be selfish itself.

Not to say that the state shouldn't provide heathcare and welfare, though.

IanExMachina

The state is selfish, happy population votes for the party etc etc.

But it should provide the healthcare/welfare as we've all mentioned everyone is selfish, so without it you wouldn't have individuals covering the cost.

You can quite clearly see this with David Cameron's 'Big Society' shit.