Why are humans altruistic?
Posted by staff / September 21, 2010
Why do we help others, even if we know it will hurt us? As it turns out, the concepts of altruism and selfishness may be linked — much more so than we thought.
The answer to the age-old question of whether there is such a thing as an unselfish act is no, since we gain pleasure in return for altruism. It also uncovers a larger question: Why would our brains respond to altruistic behavior the same way it rewards us for carrying out survival behaviors, like eating or procreation? Altruism can put us in danger, like when a person pushes another from in front of a bus or comes to the aid of someone under attack. So, why are we altruistic?
Full article at HowStuffWorks.com.
Photo credit: Fotolia
One Word Answer: "Ego."
A bigger answer: Humans Need to Satisfy their Insecurity and Do So Under the Guise of "Compassion" and Charity. In reality, these acts are nothing more than a mutually acceptable way practice Chauvinism.
Even the Dalai Lama Seems to be OK with it: http://journic.com/daoism/pg/blog/daoism/read/15638/should-you-sacrifice-what-does-it-mean