People that are truly selfless?

[Angry Uhmmm]

By definition, to be selfless you must completely disregard yourself for the act of benefiting others.

Many people praise selflessness, in fact, I'm sure that most of you do. But have we strayed away from the words true definition, is what we're praising not actually selflessness? It is safe to assume that most people volunteering at soup kitchens and such (supposedly selfless actions) are doing it because they enjoy helping others. It is also safe to assume that if they didn't enjoy volunteering, they wouldn't do it.

Now we must ask, is volunteering really so selfless of them? They're volunteering because they enjoy helping others. They're doing what they enjoy, which luckily positively impacts the people they help. These people are not usually disregarding their own enjoyment for the sake of others, so they're not really "selfless" in the words true definition.

This brings me to my final point, who is the truly selfless person? Wouldn't this be the person that sacrifices their own goals, wants, desires, enjoyment, happiness, for (this is just an example) conforming to the social rules of society. Or perhaps someone that follows whatever goals their parents have set for them, while disregarding their own. Then there's the people that try so hard to fit in with their peers, that they completely sacrifice their individual self. These people, in my eyes, are the ones that are truly selfless, in the words purist form.

Your thoughts?

Also, this goes further than volunteering, name me any "selfless" act and I'm sure we will find that the person performing this act received some sort of emotional benefit.

[washu_2004]

Angry Uhmmm

Also, this goes further than volunteering, name me any "selfless" act and I'm sure we will find that the person performing this act received some sort of emotional benefit.

There is no such an act that would fulfill your requirements for being selfless, since every selfless or good act feels good to preform, there is an intrinsic and perfectly normal and natural sense of satisfaction in a good job which is well done.

[Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu]

alot of people volunteer when forced by a judge or when it helps them get a job etc.

[Angry Uhmmm]

washu_2004

Angry Uhmmm

Also, this goes further than volunteering, name me any "selfless" act and I'm sure we will find that the person performing this act received some sort of emotional benefit.

There is no such an act that would fulfill your requirements for being selfless, since every selfless or good act feels good to preform, there is an intrinsic and perfectly normal and natural sense of satisfaction in a good job which is well done.

They're not exactly just my requirements, I'm going by definition here. But yes, that is exactly my point.

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

Anyone else notice when the kiddies try to have these supposed deep, intellectual thoughts and to disprove everything they go so deep it's no longer intellectual words being typed, but they're typing out their a**?

[Angry Uhmmm]

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

alot of people volunteer when forced by a judge or when it helps them get a job etc.

Yes, but that's not really what I'm describing here. I'm describing the people that are hailed as the most selfless, altruistic people because they voluntarily help others.

[Angry Uhmmm]

Old Blue Collar Joe

Anyone else notice when the kiddies try to have these supposed deep, intellectual thoughts and to disprove everything they go so deep it's no longer intellectual words being typed, but they're typing out their a**?

How exactly is this typing out of my a**? Since you're such an intelligent, wise adult I really value your opinion.

[Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu]

Angry Uhmmm

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

alot of people volunteer when forced by a judge or when it helps them get a job etc.

Yes, but that's not really what I'm describing here. I'm describing the people that are hailed as the most selfless, altruistic people because they voluntarily help others.

Helping others isn't necesarily the most selfless act. People helping themselves will benefit themselves more in the long run than receiving help, like teaching someone to fish rather than fishing for that person, though still technically helping in the example I gave lol, its more helping them help themselves than just helping.

For the people you say volunteer very well, volunteering may not help as much as promoting a certain cause, like education promotion, which tends to help people in many facets of their lives, and technically they aren't helping but fighting for what they believe in.

As for if the people who volunteer are really purely selfless, everyone has a self, if they didn't take care of themselves first how could they take care of anyone else? And because we all have a self, the actions we all take can be considered selfish.

[Pseudo-Onkelos]

Angry Uhmmm

Now this begs the question, is volunteering really so selfless of them?

I don't think you're using that correctly.

[Angry Uhmmm]

Pseudo-Onkelos

Angry Uhmmm

Now this begs the question, is volunteering really so selfless of them?

I don't think you're using that correctly.

You're right, I'm not using that correctly.

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

Angry Uhmmm

Old Blue Collar Joe

Anyone else notice when the kiddies try to have these supposed deep, intellectual thoughts and to disprove everything they go so deep it's no longer intellectual words being typed, but they're typing out their a**?

How exactly is this typing out of my a**? Since you're such an intelligent, wise adult I really value your opinion.

A selfless act is actually an act that doesn't provide material rewards, and that one performs, even though it 'costs' them more than the rewards. For example, although a lot of dipshits buy the crap from the Kardashian 'charity auctions', then never read the things, and fail to realize that only 10% of the money they spent on it goes to charity, the rest goes to the Kardashians. That is not a 'selfless act' on the part of the Kardashians, it is selfish. Same as with the buyers. They get to buy some semi-celebrity s**t and claim they bought it for a 'good cause'.
Tebow, for example, spends a small fortune on every game he plays flying terminally ill fans to his games, putting them up, and spending time before and after the game with them, all out of his own pocket, and doesn't advertise this.
That would be selfless. He does it because he feels it is the right thing to do.
Yes, I used two celebrities as examples, because most people can grasp that. If someone makes a point of working at a soup kitchen, that is a selfless act, UNLESS they make a point of bragging about it.

[Olya]

If that were true, there'd be no such thing as caregiver syndrome.

gaia_angelleft gaia_star gaia_angelright

washu_2004

Angry Uhmmm

Also, this goes further than volunteering, name me any "selfless" act and I'm sure we will find that the person performing this act received some sort of emotional benefit.

There is no such an act that would fulfill your requirements for being selfless, since every selfless or good act feels good to preform, there is an intrinsic and perfectly normal and natural sense of satisfaction in a good job which is well done.

[Angry Uhmmm]

Old Blue Collar Joe

A selfless act is actually an act that doesn't provide material rewards, and that one performs, even though it 'costs' them more than the rewards. For example, although a lot of dipshits buy the crap from the Kardashian 'charity auctions', then never read the things, and fail to realize that only 10% of the money they spent on it goes to charity, the rest goes to the Kardashians. That is not a 'selfless act' on the part of the Kardashians, it is selfish. Same as with the buyers. They get to buy some semi-celebrity s**t and claim they bought it for a 'good cause'.
Tebow, for example, spends a small fortune on every game he plays flying terminally ill fans to his games, putting them up, and spending time before and after the game with them, all out of his own pocket, and doesn't advertise this.
That would be selfless. He does it because he feels it is the right thing to do.
Yes, I used two celebrities as examples, because most people can grasp that. If someone makes a point of working at a soup kitchen, that is a selfless act, UNLESS they make a point of bragging about it.

I see what you're saying, but for the purposes of this discussion I'm referring strictly to the dictionary definition of "selfless". Like I said before, by definition you must act without any concern of your own happiness or fulfillment to be selfless. 99% of the time that person would not be working at the soup kitchen if they did not find enjoyment in helping people. Therefore, they're still showing concern for their own interest, which does not make them selfless.