Serving the self ... looking out for #1

Do you think that every action ultimately is made to serve oneself?

Total Votes:

[ 0 ]

This poll closed on January 8, 2005.
No longer accepting new votes.

[kahiti]

I was just wondering... how many of you gaians out there think that every action has a self-serving motive?

The way I see it, everything, even doing things to help the people you love is self-serving... because it's the feeling those people give YOU that you enjoy. And by helping them, you're actually serving yourself...

I don't know if that's coming out right... Oh well. Comment, try to make sense, unlike me.

[Jayken Serintal]

My life is dedicated to helping others, my life is pretty much useless other than that. But yeah I do help other for myself.....I guess.

[Jim Jesus 2.0]

Depends on the situation. If I give to charity, what am I getting back other than a hole in my wallet?

[Diabolical Passion]

kahiti

I was just wondering... how many of you gaians out there think that every action has a self-serving motive?

The way I see it, everything, even doing things to help the people you love is self-serving... because it's the feeling those people give YOU that you enjoy. And by helping them, you're actually serving yourself...

I don't know if that's coming out right... Oh well. Comment, try to make sense, unlike me.

Meh, action-reaction. xp You feel good, they feel good. whee

[Charley]

Interestingly enough, I was thinking about this while coming home from work today. I agree with you completely. There is no true form of altruism, because even in the act of charity, we derive some form of utility ourselves, whether it be personal experience, "heaven points", a good feeling, living vicariously through others, etc.

[ReiDuck]

I am my top priority. But sometimes I need to set my own needs aside to help someone else.

[kahiti]

Dragon1691

kahiti

I was just wondering... how many of you gaians out there think that every action has a self-serving motive?

The way I see it, everything, even doing things to help the people you love is self-serving... because it's the feeling those people give YOU that you enjoy. And by helping them, you're actually serving yourself...

I don't know if that's coming out right... Oh well. Comment, try to make sense, unlike me.

Meh, action-reaction. xp You feel good, they feel good. whee

mutual beneficial relationships... still, we are serving our own feelings aren't we? And helping someone else makes us feel good right?

[Neila]

Charley

There is no true form of altruism, because even in the act of charity, we derive some form of utility ourselves, whether it be personal experience, "heaven points", a good feeling, living vicariously through others, etc.

very true

[kahiti]

ReiDuck

I am my top priority. But sometimes I need to set my own needs aside to help someone else.

that is the rule of survival... but we're only human heh

[Alliecat]

Eh. What is the point to life if you are not happy?
That is why we live. Well, despite the fact that we had no choice whether we enterd this world or not.
WE are all about ourselves. It might not seem that way, but it is.
Seeing others happy, makes us happy, thus we strive to make others happy- why? Becaues it makes us feel happy to know they are happy- even though it is a less selfish versin, it is still selfish.

Why do we put others down?
So that for a moment we feel powerful, or even long afterwards. For a while, we feel like we have control, tha we run things. It is for ourselves.

Everything we do is for ourselves.

[kahiti]

Charley

Interestingly enough, I was thinking about this while coming home from work today. I agree with you completely. There is no true form of altruism, because even in the act of charity, we derive some form of utility ourselves, whether it be personal experience, "heaven points", a good feeling, living vicariously through others, etc.

yeah, you said it better though heh.

[alteus_hades]

You do have a good point. I think when it comes down to it, anything can be see as looking out for yourself. I would like to think that most of what I do is in the name of Jesus.. but why do I do things for Jesus? Because I want to be more and more Christian at heart. I want to spread the word of Christ.. so that one day I may have more rewards built up for me in Heaven.. but that's a whole long explanation.

Basically, yes I get it. I like to tell people that I'm not giving for them, I'm giving because it makes me feel good.. and well.. It's all about the nookie. whee

[TheArgus]

True altruism does exist.
I myself have given money to people who needed it. Not because it made me feel better, simply because they needed something to eat or some booze or drugs to take the pain away. I was homeless at the time, so it may have been easier to empathize without pausing to allow myself some kind of emotional justification for the act. Basically, I knew what it was like to have nothing, but I tempered this empathy with the realistic notion that the recipient of my donation was probably a shitbag...

It could also be argued that the money I gave these people was probably spent on booze or drugs which could have prolonged a person's suffering. It that case, donating money to strung-out homeless people could be perceived as a negative act, and would thereby not be a good deed.

Nice job with this topic.

[kahiti]

hehe, I guess I made a quite obvious point to many.

[TomokazuExtreme]

I guess I am abit soiciopathic then huh? After all, If it doesn't serve me in some way I never really care much. It's bad i'm sure, but I don't really care. sweatdrop I like money. I like having people owe me but me not owe them. I like getting what i want when i want it. Sue me...I'm human, and honest.