Altruism. Another Way Of Being Selfish.

Today, as any other Sunday I went to mass. Usually I don’t understand the lecture that he gives but tonight it was simple. Is was about selfishness and the importance of being generous and give to others. I couldn’t help but think in the book I was reading in my English class: The Selfish Gene and how the main idea in it is how humans are selfish, and how we must become altruist. Dawkins has never mentioned this altruism directly he because “there is no altruism here, only selfish exploitation by each individual of every other individual” (168).

“The best policy is indeed to fly up to into a tree, but to make sure everybody else does too” (170) doesn’t reading this make you think altruism is possible? It is did to me, but I guess I got a little carried away because the only reason we make sure everyone else goes up the tree is because it is for our own good.

I read an article in the NY times that talked about economist and how they think that “the typical person makes rational decisions in line with its own self-interest.” (NY times). The article used the example of “what might look like a good old-fashioned interfamilial altruism may be a sort of prepaid insurance tax. ”(NY times). Proving Dawkins theory of a new selfishness. How for example adults visit their elderly parents to assure the inheritance not because they want to. They do but because each individual will be the one that benefits in the end.

I am not generalizing, not all people are like this, still it is interesting to see how not only Dawkins sees this way and how his theory is correct. It is sad to admit but we are selfish “survival machines” and our only motivation in being altruistic is if we are going to be benefited also.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/opinion/20freakonomics-excerpt.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=selfishness&st=cse&scp=2