Is everything we do for selfish reasons?

Nitefly said:
lol?!!

That is some of the most ridiculous logic I have ever heard on the forum. My desires are clearly unselfish. But if I act on them, I will be fulfilling my desires, thus I'm being selfish?

That is nothing but a 'smart-alec' fabrication by asserting that doing something you want to do is selfish, and secondly by fabricating that doing someone you want to do is selfish, when in reality being selfish means to do something at the expense or inconsideration of somebody else.

I scratch my leg - it's selfish. I'm hungry and I want food - it's selfish.

What crap.
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Quoted in case you missed it.
 
Haggisman said:
They aren't mutually exclusive!!

Can I stop hitting my head against this brick wall now?
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No, because you can keep hitting your head against a wall because you are completely ignoring that being selfish is to be to the deteriment of someone else :p

wiki said:
Selfishness denotes an excessive or exclusive concern with oneself; and as such it exceeds mere self interest or self concern. In that it necessarily connotes a disregard for others, it is beyond the act of placing one's own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others (self interest).
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dictionary.com said:
–adjective
1.
devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
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So, say I'm walking along drinking my milkshake from maccie d's, I finish it and throw it on the floor without a care. That in itself is selfish because I didn't go out of my way to find a bin.

But say another time I'm walking along drinking my milkshake from maccie d's and as I finish I just so happen to be passing a bin and throw it in there, am I being selfish there?

I've already shown in a previous situation how I couldn't care less if I throw something on the floor or not. But putting it in the bin isn't going to affect me in anyway, I get no gratification out of it and nor does it harm anyone else or benefit them to an extent that I gain some direct gratification or selfish gain. Where's the selfishness in that?
 
Just because its not selfish does not mean its altruistic. True altruism is doing something for someone else that offers you no benefit whatsoever. People will not perform an act that will not benefit them whatsoever just to benefit another.

Giving to charity because you want to help is cooperation as both parties benefit. It is not altruistic though.
 
Nitefly said:
Perhaps you are, yes :p
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Touche :p

OK re-reading the whole thread, it looks like it's shifted from the OP's mate saying everything is selfish, to saying there is no such thing as altruism.

I'll concede that the initial point may be correct, and that not everything is selfish, however I shall stand my ground against the existence of altruism.

Hmm... all this talk of selfish is making me want prawns XD
 
I was going to explain the difference between altruism and selfishness and that to be selfish would require you to do something to the detriment of another and not simply doing something because you want to or where you both benefit, but I see that Nitefly has been busy banging his head against the collective OCuk wall so I won't bother....
 
There is a vast difference between a selfish act and an act carried out for selfish reasons.

An act that benefits yourself is not inherently selfish.

Also your work mate is a tool.
 
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