Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Selfish Altruism

1. People spend their lives in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness
2. Nearly everyone dies unfulfilled in many core ways after a lifetime of searching for fulfillment whilst placating themselves with denial and procrastination that they are or were happy enough or would at least be soon.

3. The happiest people in the world are the most altruistic

4. Though they are ultimately contradictory, both selfishness and altruism are innate and are simultaneously taught and applied in our society. We want them both, we love them both.

5. Selfishness feels nearer, is easier to adopt and often delivers a brand of short term gratification – we hide it on one hand in its negative aspect – but then strive for it in different guises – IE achieving business success, taking pride in a new car or demanding from someone else your expectations out of a relationship.

6. Occasional acts of selflessness can punctuate a selfish life to offer appeasement and balance giving the impression of a well balanced person. IE Altruism can be applied in order to create desired beneficial end results making selflessness a selfish tool.

7. Truly altruistic people are revered, loved and respected. Sometimes rejected by those that can't cope with the contrast they create - but these are the heroes that we look up to in our bibles or history books - never once believing that we could ever be that great or be strong enough to adopt their level of altruistic persona and beliefs.

Perhaps, having read this, your stance on seeking genuine servant-hood is now your primary objective.

Consider your response:

1. You agree with the points above and this has now changed your life. Understanding that the more selfless you are the happier you are, you have now decided to live the rest of your life as a genuine servant to others. Do nothing but good things to all and, purely as a bonus rather than a deliberate agenda, you will be the most fulfilled person that you know. You have found life’s true meaning.

Spike says "go for it!"

2. You disagree with the points above. People who live for their own happiness can easily find it within themselves and their own lives. Those who live as servants to others for no reward are just doormats. They are merely taken advantage of and are fools to believe they can be truly happy. Givers who never take advantage of life for themselves are often low status people with issues who are often poor and/or weak unusual people who seem to hang around with a rather odd group of friends. Giving to charity can still be a good thing, but looking after number 1 has got to everyone's priority. This is a fundamental fact of life.

Spike says "I often feel like this. But I can't accept it".

3. You agree with the points above but you pretend to disagree (both to yourself and others) so that you can appease or suppress a guilty feeling you have deep down. There is something about point 2 above that you do not like, but you stand by it nonetheless.

Spike says "You are in denial and you have every intention of staying there".

4. You agree with the points above. You shrug your shoulders and do nothing about it. Life is just the way it is. Perhaps the points above are just too idealistic. The real world can't work like that.

Spike says "Same problem as point 3 above. Denial comes in many flavours. Opting out is the worst!"

4 comments:

twelve_squared said...

What if I have another valid reason for not dedicating myself to the pursuit of altruism and selfless dedication to others? *lol*

There are reasons that sag’s don’t typically pursue a life of dedication to others…

1. We’re too egocentric to really give a damn, at the end of our days, about anything that doesn’t end with “me” “myself” or “I.”
2. We’re too lazy to enjoy giving to others without some return on our investment on the days when just getting up seems like a chore.
3. It usually comes with giving over control of ourselves to someone or something else, and we don’t even make employees to ourselves all the time, let alone anyone else. That’s why we’re primarily entrepreneurs and consultants.
(Likely why we can all spell and pronounce the words, too… because “we” likely made up the terms in the first place.)
4. We’re so eccentric and mercurial in ourselves and our ideals and beliefs that the rest of the world can’t figure us out long enough to figure out what we’re up to, let alone catch up long enough to get their hats under the flow of money and work we are willing to share.

We are very giving and charitable in ourselves, with our money and time within smaller circles, sometimes to the point of seeming too charming to be real, too giving to be sincere and too open to be telling the truth. We are, however, not as concerned with giving on any global sense. Our friends love us because we’ll buy the next three rounds so long as the party carries on, we’ll feed them all over and over so long as the good feelings flow, and we’ll share what we have, including the shirt off of our own backs so long as the feeling is bright and cheerful.

When things begin to be demanding emotionally, financially draining without return or hurtful in any way then it’s also true that a Sagittarian can pack up, clear out and vanish without a trace or apology. We’re here for the good times, and if sharing when times are good is enough, then we are the world’s best and most giving people. When the going gets tough though, the tough get going, and for some reason that’s always a Sagittarian.

So I’m unable to dedicate myself to the altruistic and selfless pursuit of giving to others wholly and must satisfy myself with the realization that whilst I’m egocentric, eccentric, lazy, and controlling I am also caring, fun to be around and generally so optimistic that I can bring the world around to my way of thinking on most days. If that’s not a gift, I don’t know what is. *lol*

Please let me know if I’m missing the mark on semantic philosophy, or if you want to discuss it further, as I’m not wholly sure that one evening of surfing and reading my butt off makes me really capable of grasping two concepts that have made you a guru on life the universe and everything… educate me, oh wise one. I request your tutelage.

Oh, and you can desire as much altruism from yourself as you like, but honestly, if you bring people to a place of joy and make them happy for a living… that’s a thing… not necessarily biblical, but ask yourself, how many people in the bible are happy?

xxoo

twelve_squared said...

*lol* and thank you, by the way, for gently telling me I was making a mistake rather than leaping on it as most of my friends would have done... you are, of course, entirely correct... it's the Forth Rail/Road Bridge and for some unknown reason in my mind it had become the Fifth...

thanks again, hope work is treating you well... will say more in email about your site and New Year's as well.

twelve_squared said...

ever feel yourself echoing in a void?

still enjoying the high of a job well done, Spike?

missing having fun bits of you (or not so fun but excellently written none-the-less) to read... *smile*

be well... happy new year... awesome job... reviews are the Hoog rocked...

xxoo

Ruth

Anonymous said...

"reviews are The Hoog rocked" - would love to read the reviews haven't seen/read any - can you send a link?