In the modern world, there is a stereotype that people have long forgotten what kindness and selfless help to others are. Everyone wants to benefit and is not ready to perform selfless acts. But still, even in our difficult times, there are still people who are driven by an irresistible desire to help and please everyone, sometimes even to their detriment. This desire is called altruism.
An altruist is a person who is ready to give his love and kindness free of charge to everyone in this world.
Altruist - his character, motives, advantages and disadvantages
Egoists and altruists are equally mistaken, for the goal of man is to serve world harmony.
Absalom Underwater
- 1. The main character traits of an altruist
- 2. Directions of altruism 2.1. Altruism of parents
- 2.2.Moral altruism
- 2.3.Empathetic altruism
- 2.4.Altruism from a feeling of sympathy
- Only introverts can see these hidden images, thanks to their unique powers of observation.
- Introvert - who is it? The whole truth about introverts
- "Rorschach stains" or a test for psychopaths
- Who do you see first? Your answer will show your personality!
- Psychology of color: How each color characterizes personality
Altruist - who is it?
When an individual thinks only about himself and his needs, without paying attention or deliberately not noticing the needs and needs of his environment, he is called an egoist. This philosophy is very common in the modern information consumer society, but there are also completely different people. In the world of their values, the interests of other people are higher than their own. Such individuals are called altruists.
These are people who voluntarily, guided by personal motives, act for the benefit of other people, often even to the detriment of themselves. They sometimes say about such people “he will give away his last shirt.” The main personal qualities of an altruist include:
- sincere kindness;
- mercy;
- readiness for self-sacrifice;
- openness;
- humanism;
- courage.
Altruist
People do good: a veterinarian from Ufa exchanged his winning voucher for food for homeless animals
Feeding homeless animals is a noble cause that each of us can do. But not many are willing to give up a valuable prize for this.
Ansar Sharipov, a veterinarian at the BSAU clinic, was awarded the prize and title “Property of the Capital.” They also came with a valuable prize - a trip to Crimea for two. However, the doctor did not take advantage of the opportunity to relax on the Black Sea. He decided to do a good deed and, selling a ticket, bought food for homeless animals. Afterwards, Ansar distributed it evenly among the volunteers who visited his clinic so that they could feed animals without homes.
Examples of altruism
The origins of altruism were first described by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. He identified the altruistic character with the concept of morality and believed that such a trait compensates for the natural egoism inherent in everyone to varying degrees. Much later, the concept was described in detail by the German sociologist Auguste Comte. He believed that there is animal or instinctive altruism and human, arising under pressure from society. I. Kant, A. Smith, D. Hume and others began to develop Comte’s theory in their teachings.
The character traits of an altruist exist in many people, it’s just that in some they are much more pronounced than in others. There are many striking examples in history illustrating who an altruist is:
- When altruism is mentioned, people often think of the Catholic nun who is known throughout the world as Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to serving the poor and sick people.
- One can recall the feat of A. Matrosov, who closed the embrasure of an enemy bunker with his chest, saving his comrades.
- After World War II, German industrialist Oskar Schindler also became famous for saving more than 1,000 Jews working at his factory. Later, a book was written about him and a film was made called “Schindler’s List.”
People do good: a yard samovar
People do good every day and in all corners of the earth. This is how an ordinary city dweller from Kaliningrad treats children with delicious tea from a samovar and organizes their leisure time by telling interesting stories.
Everyone loves tea, especially herbal tea from a samovar. Better yet, drink tea with sweets while listening to interesting stories. In one microdistrict of Kaliningrad, “Selma,” a samovar with aromatic tea stands right in the yard and treats all local children. It is noteworthy that the organizer was not some public figure, but a simple resident of one of the houses.
The yard samovar is an event that is interesting for both adults and children. Just think how much joy such simple fun brings! And all this comes at virtually no financial cost. So why does this simple action surprise us and why not everyone just so easily takes out a samovar (teapot, ladle, pan - underline as necessary) and gives tea to children?
Pros and cons of altruism
True self-sacrifice has both its advantages and disadvantages. The positive features of sacrifice include:
- Improving the world and society, changing people's consciousness.
- True altruists experience happiness and satisfaction from helping other people.
- In this way, people often try to atone for shameful acts committed in the past.
- Humane people often have high status in society and are valued and respected.
Unfortunately, an altruist, whose meaning is serving others, may experience a number of negative consequences of his activities:
- Ignoring your needs, desires and needs in favor of other people can lead to a threat to moral and physical health or even death.
- Mercantile and selfish people can use such a person for their own selfish interests.
Pros and cons of altruism
True selflessness
True altruism has two important principles - selflessness and spiritual satisfaction from a good deed.
Let's consider this situation. A man on crutches walks next to you and drops his glasses. What will you do? I'm sure you'll pick them up and give them to him without the thought that he should do anything good for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. How will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then there is no smell of true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act makes your soul warm, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.
A true altruist does not seek material gain (fame, honor, respect), his goal is much higher. By providing selfless help to others, our soul becomes purer and brighter, and accordingly the whole world becomes a little better, because everything in it is interconnected.
And in its highest manifestation, true altruism is serving God, and serving other living beings, through the prism of understanding that they are parts of the Lord, without expecting anything in return.
In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sit on the head” of an altruist, it is necessary to develop awareness in oneself. Then you will be able to distinguish between those who really need help from those who are just trying to take advantage of you.
Theories of altruism
Various scientists developed their own concepts, in which the altruistic approach was viewed from different points of view. Currently, there are three most popular theories of altruism:
- Evolutionary . Adherents of this concept are confident that altruistic traits are built into the genetic code of any individual as a representative of the human race. Nature needed this in order to preserve this species, ensure its survival and development.
- The second theory is called “social exchange” . According to its postulates, the term of who an altruist is is considered from the point of view of the highest manifestation of egoism. Scientists read that altruistic activities bring personal benefits to a person in the form of self-satisfaction, exaltation of oneself in one's own eyes, and gaining approval from other members of society.
- Social norms theory suggests that altruists act in one way or another because of generally accepted norms. They can be moral, religious, rules of conduct and good manners, and others. That is, such people try to return kindness for kindness or take care of the weak thanks to accepted norms of social responsibility.
Selfishness concept
The complete opposite of an altruist is an egoist. This person cares solely about his own benefit. He is only interested in his own interests, which are placed above everyone else. An egoist will never listen to the opinion of another person or “put himself in the position” of anyone. He does not tolerate a person with his own opinion around him.
Just as the struggle between good and evil is endless, so altruism and egoism stand on different scales.
Everyone reserves the right to choose - to be an altruist or an egoist, to give or receive, to help or demand help.
Types of altruism
In different paradigms and branches of science, the concept of altruism is interpreted differently. The definition is somewhat different in philosophy, psychology and sociology without changing the general essence. What differentiates different types of altruism:
- moral;
- parental;
- National;
- sympathetic or empathic;
- mutual;
- demonstrative;
- social
Moral altruism
One of the true types of what an altruist is can be considered a person guided by his moral or moral principles. That is, such an individual acts in the interests of others, and sometimes to the detriment of himself, because of his internal beliefs and attitudes. A moral altruist helps familiar and unfamiliar people because he experiences moral satisfaction from this. Many people say that a person has found his calling or acts “at the behest of his heart.”
Such altruistic behavior was characteristic of the famous Mother Teresa and many other both secular and religious public figures. Examples of moral altruism include:
- volunteering;
- donation;
- mentoring;
- self-sacrifice;
- charity and so on.
Rational altruism
A person can perform altruistic acts not only out of internal need and worldview, but also guided by common sense. That is, a rational altruist acts on the basis that it will be better in the global sense. That is, a firefighter gives his life during a terrible fire to save hundreds of people from the fire. The rational theory is supported by biologist researchers who have identified elements of such behavior in animals. Many of them did things for the good of the pack, even at the cost of their own lives.
Parental altruism
In everyday life, illustrating who an altruist is, one can easily cite almost any parent as an example. Moms and dads, raising their children, sacrifice a lot for the sake of their offspring. This can manifest itself either in a mother’s refusal to go to a cosmetologist for the sake of another treat for the baby, or in heroic actions to save the lives of her children at the cost of her own. There is even a separate theory of parental altruism, the basis of which is considered to be a biological program for the survival of the species.
Compassionate altruism
In psychology, a widely accepted theory describes the sympathetic motives of altruism, that is, empathy for the emotions of another person. Sensitive people acutely sense the emotions of another person, which is why they try to selflessly help him. This behavior is more often characteristic of women and people with a developed imagination. Such individuals can vividly imagine what they would feel or do in a similar situation. Compassionate altruism always involves targeted and specific help.
Reciprocal altruism
Reciprocal altruism is considered a special type of rational altruism. With this approach, a person performs good deeds only when he is confident that the other party is capable or can do the same for him. This principle of altruism can often be observed in everyday life in the relationships of friends and lovers, relatives and loved ones by other criteria. When a person commits a mutual altruistic act, he does not always realize that he expects something in return. Rather, people say that “they are ready to give everything for the sake of the happiness of their loved one.”
Demonstrative altruism
The so-called demonstrative sacrifice is also often encountered. It was already mentioned above that altruism helps to occupy a special position in society, to earn honor and respect. In this case, the altruistic mode cannot be considered as the true motives of human behavior. Rather, the individual may seek benefit for himself, which will consist of:
- Atonement for your own bad deeds of the past and clearing your own conscience. Thus, former leaders of criminal organizations can donate large sums of money to charity.
- Occupying a certain position in society. This may be a position or respect in a certain circle of people where self-sacrifice is held in high esteem.
- Approval from your inner world and parents. Such people do good deeds not at the behest of their hearts, but because of the “correct” upbringing. From childhood they were taught that this is necessary and important to do.
Social altruism
In the modern world, the so-called social altruistic attitude is actively spreading, which manifests itself only within one society or social group. This could be family, a close circle of acquaintances, or a work team. A person can experience certain positive feelings towards all these people, which is why he is ready to perform altruistic acts. This behavior allows you to maintain a friendly atmosphere and a pleasant microclimate in a particular company of people.
Empathic altruism
The concept of empathy is closer to people with a Western type of thinking. However, if sympathy and empathy can be considered as internal altruistic motives, then empathy is considered the highest form of manifestation of egoism. A person feels the emotions of another in a difficult situation and puts himself in his place. He understands that he, too, would be hurt or offended, so he tries to help or correct what happened, even at the cost of his own lost benefits and sacrifices. Subconsciously, such people would like the environment to treat them in the same way as they are doing now.
Hidden motives
As I already said, our souls have a natural desire to take care of the world around us and people, because we are all interconnected. But sometimes the mind takes precedence over the impulses of the heart. In such cases, selfishness and concern only for one’s own good awakens in a person.
Let me give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will sign his house over to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the initial goal that this girl pursues is not helping a person, but immediate benefit after that.
But sometimes people are driven to do good deeds by motives that may not be clear even to the altruist himself. Let's take a closer look at these hidden motives.
Self-promotion
Increasingly, good deeds (selfless at first glance) are performed with the aim of increasing one’s reputation. World stars have all taken up charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the “potlatch effect”, in honor of the Indian ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp conflicts arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but this was an unusual battle. Each tribal leader held a feast to which he invited his enemies. He generously treated them and presented them with expensive gifts. In this way they showed their power and wealth.
Personal sympathy
The most common motive for altruistic actions is sympathy. People are more pleased to help those they like, their friends and loved ones. In some ways, this motive intersects with self-promotion, because one of its goals is to arouse the respect of people dear to us. But there is still a significant difference, because here there is love for one’s neighbors.
Ennui
Some people devote their entire lives to altruistic acts and service to society, without experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving the souls of others, so as not to hear the cry for help from his own.
15 people giving away money 2021
Usually a large number of people give away money to others, however, on this page you will be surprised with 5 lists of millionaires who give away money in 2021. These 5 millionaires are considered representative.
Warren Buffett
As a philanthropist, Warren Buffett loves to give away his money for worthy causes. His amazing wealth forces him to run a giveaway program that he runs as an individual. $2.5 billion is not a small amount to share.
Warren Buffett did it. Buffett uses 99% of his wealth to meet the needs of other people.
In another case, Buffett gives 20% of his company to a charitable program. This 20% comes to $21.8 billion. Can you imagine that he will give the same amount of money that I give to the program every year?
Another observation showed that Warrant Buffet is also using 4% of its wealth to distribute money next year.
J. K. Rowling
You know J.K. Rowling ? I mean, who doesn't know JK Rowling? She is a very popular author of Harry Potter novels in the world. She is one of the richest authors in the world, although she donated $1 billion of her money. JK Rowling is famous for being a single mother and has now become a superstar author.
In recent years, she has been giving away $160 million of her money. This is about 16% of her total wealth. Rowling also supports several charities, including Lumos and Volant. These two types of charities advocate for women's and children's health in response to the financial crisis.
The experience of poverty allows Rowling to understand more than lack of money - it is stress and depression. So when she can give her money away, she does and does so all the time.
Chuck Feeney
Chuck Feeney is an American businessman who achieves his financial goals amazingly. Feeney is one of the 5 list of millionaires giving away money in 2021. His life principle is to enjoy helping other people with his money while he is still alive.
Feeney once spent $1.5 billion on giveaways. It also spends $8 billion on research, education, human rights and public health.
Mr Feeney got his amazing wealth from DFS Group. They created DFS Groups, which operate duty free shops at the airport, starting in 1960. His condition comes on uncontrollably, but Mr. Feeney loves to live simply and humbly. His popular encouragement is the phrase "You can only wear one pair of pants at a time."
This shows and teaches us that it is better not to be a style addict. Feeney also believes in one principle: “Giving while living.” His way of thinking contributes to his wealth.
Tim Cook
Tim is 56 years old. He is currently giving his money to some charity program and has just announced that he would like to use his entire fortune to help others in need. Tim Cook has a huge net worth of $120 million. During his lifetime, Tim Cook has been involved in charity work almost his entire life.
Tim Cook is interested in solving some social problems. He once donated his $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League, as well as a $2.5 million donation to RedCross for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, $50 million is also included in the giveaway to Stanford.
Ted Turner
CNN founder Ted Turner has been giving away his money for decades. In 1997, Turner pledged $1 billion to UN programs, which established the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to expand U.S. support for the UN.
Along with Warren Buffett and Chuck Feeney, Turner is part of Collateral Provision. This is an organization that encourages the world's richest people to donate the majority of their wealth to charity.
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American billionaire investor who also has a charitable organization called Open Society Foundations. It supports democracy and human rights in more than 100 countries.
He gave away more than $32 billion of his personal fortune. to finance the foundation's work around the world. Soros is also the founder and major donor of the Central European University in Budapest, which is the region's leading center for the study of the social sciences.
Hansjörg Wyss
Hansjörg Wyss is a Swiss entrepreneur who donates his money. He is the founder and president and later chairman of Synthes USA until its sale in 2012.
He sold the company to Johnson & Johnson for $20.2 billion in 2012. He currently owns stakes in publicly traded biotech companies Novocure and Molecular Partners. In 2019, he announced a $131 million donation to Harvard University.
The money will go to Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biological Engineering, which was created following Wyss' $125 million donation to Harvard in 2009.
His giving over the years and throughout the university totals more than $400 million. He also founded the Wyss Foundation which, according to its website, is "Dedicated to supporting innovative, long-term solutions that improve lives, empower communities and strengthen connections to the earth."
Jim Walton (and the Walton family in general)
Jim Walton is the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. In 2021, he donated $1.2 billion of the retailer's stock.
The entire Walton family is known to help various charities through their organization. Walton Family Foundation.
He focuses on improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and investing in his home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.
Pierre Omidyar
eBay founder Pierre Omidyar became a millionaire at just 31 years old. Since then, he has given his wealth to support a variety of causes.
In 2015, Omidyar gave away 10% of his eBay shares, which were valued at $269 million, to undisclosed charities. He is also the founder of the Omidyar Network which supports non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Omidyar's philanthropic work has contributed more than $1 billion to programs for a variety of causes, from disaster relief to human rights.
Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg has given away a ton of money over the years.
He is one of America's most generous philanthropists. giving away $9.5 billion to a variety of causes, including a $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins University.
This donation allowed Johns Hopkins to continually admit and enroll students regardless of their ability to pay. This is the largest gift in the history of American higher education.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, his charitable organization, distributed $2021 billion in 3.3. He joined The Giving Pledge along with other billionaires such as Warren Buffett.
Gordon and Betty Moore
Lifetime Giving: $5.37 billion (71% of current wealth)
Moore co-founded Intel in 1968, but is now focused on philanthropy. He retired from his corporate positions in 2006 and currently runs the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation with his wife
Eli and Edith Broad
Through the Broad Fund , billionaire financier and builder Eli Broad and his wife Edith have created revolutionary independent institutions in each of three investment areas: public education, science and the arts.
Lifetime Giving: $4.22 billion (57% of current wealth)
Irwin and Joan Jacobs
Irwin Jacobs co-founded mobile chip maker Qualcomm in 1985, but after stepping down from its board in 2012, he focused on giving away his fortune through the Jacobs Family Foundation . It funds community change and works to empower people.
Lifetime Giving: $706 million (50% of current wealth)
Julian and Josie Robertson
The "Wizard of Wall Street" Julian Robertson made his billions from hedge funds. Now, with his wife and family, he has created the Robertson Foundation to fund nonprofit groups and encourage philanthropy with the billions he made from the financial boom of the 1980s and 1990s.
Lifetime Giving: $1.56 billion (43% of current wealth)
Bill and Melinda Gates
The world's most famous philanthropist, Gates encouraged other billionaires to give their money to their foundations. Warren Buffett (below) said he has no idea how to give away his huge amount of money.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation makes grants for initiatives and programs around the world, with a focus on agricultural development, emergency relief, global libraries, urban poverty, global health and education.
Lifetime Giving: $32.91 billion (41% of current wealth)
