Hello dear friends and guests of my blog! Today I will touch on the topic - altruism, talk about the meaning of this word and give examples. An altruist is a person who acts selflessly without expecting anything in return. It seems to me that now this is very relevant, and our society needs to awaken these wonderful qualities in itself. I hope my article will help you with this.

The word altruist is completely opposite in meaning to the word egoist. That is, this is a person who cares about others, performs deeds and deeds that benefit society, even to the detriment of himself. This concept was introduced by the French sociologist Auguste Comte. In his opinion, the main principle of altruism is to live for others. Of course, I don’t really like the word damage, since disinterestedness, it’s still not to act out of inferiority, but most likely out of abundance. This abundance is not necessarily manifested in some material wealth of a person, rather it is an abundance of the soul and heart. In the article about, I already touched on this topic a little.

There is a similar concept of philontropy (from the Greek. philanthropy). Philanthropists are people who do charity work. The simplest form of philanthropy is to give alms to those in need.

The characteristic qualities of an altruistic personality are kindness, responsiveness, empathy, activity, compassion. People who are prone to altruism have a well-functioning heart chakra. Outwardly, they can be recognized by their eyes, which radiate a warm radiance. As a rule, altruistic individuals are optimists. Instead of wasting time depressing and complaining about the world, they just make it a better place.

Examples of Altruistic Activities

Properties of altruistic deeds may differ in different sexes. As a rule, in women they have a longer duration. For example, they often put an end to their careers for the benefit of their families. And men, on the contrary, are characterized by momentary heroic impulses: to pull a person out of a fire, to throw himself on an embrasure. As during the Great Patriotic War, Alexander Matrosov and many other unknown heroes did this.

The desire to help others is inherent in all living beings. This is true even for animals. For example, dolphins help their wounded brethren stay afloat, they can swim for long hours under the sick, pushing him to the surface so that he can breathe. Cats, dogs, foxes, walruses take care of orphaned cubs as if they were their own.

Also, altruism can include volunteering, donation, mentoring (only on condition that the teacher does not charge a fixed fee for this).

Famous people altruists

Some altruistic acts are so powerful in their depth that they go down in history for a long time. So, during the Second World War, the German industrialist Oskar Schindler became famous throughout the world for saving about 1,000 Jews who worked at his factory from death. Schindler was not a righteous man, but in saving his workers, he made many sacrifices: he spent a lot of money to pay off officials, he risked going to jail. In honor of him, a book was written and the film "Schindrer's List" was shot. Of course, he could not have known that this would bring glory to him, so this act can be considered truly altruistic.

The real altruists include the Russian doctor Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz. He devoted his life to serving humanity, for which he was called the "holy doctor." Fyodor Petrovich helped poor people with medicines, mitigated the fate of prisoners and exiles. His favorite words, which can be made a motto for altruists, are: “Hurry up to do good! Know how to forgive, desire reconciliation, overcome evil with good. Try to raise the fallen, soften the embittered, correct the morally destroyed.

Famous altruists include any spiritual teachers and mentors (Christ, Buddha, Prabhupada, etc.) who help people become better. They give their time, energy, and sometimes their lives, without demanding anything in return.

The best reward for them can be that the students accepted the knowledge and embarked on the path of spiritual development.

Hidden motives

As I have already said, in our souls nature has a 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 wake up in a person.

I'll give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will write his house to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the original goal pursued by this girl is not helping a person, but the immediate benefit after that.

But sometimes people are pushed to do good deeds by such motives that may not be clear even to the altruist himself. Let's take a closer look at these ulterior motives.

Self-promotion

Increasingly, good deeds (disinterested at first glance) are performed in order to increase one's reputation. World stars without exception engaged in charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the “potlatch effect”, in honor of the Native American ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp feuds arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but it was an unusual battle. Each leader of the tribe arranged a feast, to which he called his enemies. He generously treated them and presented expensive gifts. Thus, they showed their power and wealth.

Personal sympathy

The most common motive for altruistic acts is sympathy. It is more pleasant for people 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 still there is a significant difference, because there is love for neighbors.

Ennui

Some people devote their whole lives to altruistic deeds and service to society, while not experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving other people's souls so as not to hear a cry for help from his own.

True selflessness

True altruism has two important principles - it is disinterestedness and spiritual satisfaction from a good deed done.

Let's consider such a situation. A man on crutches walks beside 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 something nice for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. What will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then it does not smell like true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act warms your soul, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.

A real altruist does not seek material gain (glory, 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 the highest manifestation, true altruism is serving God, and serving other living beings, through the prism of understanding that they are particles of the Lord, without expecting anything in return.

In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sat 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 and those who are just trying to use you.

Video

In conclusion, I want to tell you a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures, which illustrates the manifestation of real altruism and selflessness. Watch the video.

Ruslan Tsvirkun wrote for you. I wish you spiritual growth and development. Help your friends with this and share useful information with them. If you have any clarifying questions, do not hesitate to ask, I will be happy to answer them.

Hello dear readers! Increasingly, a person thinks about moral values, his behavior, the vision of others around him. From these reflections comes the question: who is an altruist? A person who sacrifices himself for others. What can such behavior lead to, and how to find the ideal balance of altruistic and egoistic qualities in oneself.

What can altruism lead to?

Selfless waste of oneself for the sake of others is not such grace as it might seem at first glance. Let me give you an example of one of my clients. She is a person who always tries to do well for everyone around, regardless of her desires and condition.

When she became very ill, her husband asked him to go to the store for a "beer". On the street, the woman felt dizzy and fainted. Fortunately, kind passers-by sat her on a bench, helped her come to her senses, gave her water to drink. The woman nevertheless sent for beer for her husband. At work, colleagues constantly throw off their duties on her, go home early, and she sits until the victory until she does all her work and the work of others.

What does her behavior mean? She, to the detriment of her own desires, and sometimes her health, tries to do good to others. As a result, the woman came to me in a terrible physical and emotional state. She was completely devastated, constantly stressed, did not see any purpose in life and did not understand who was simply taking advantage of her kindness.

Altruistic traits are characteristic of people who possess, and through helping others they try to make themselves better. But in the pursuit of imaginary happiness, people can go so far that they can no longer get out on their own.

Altruism is often contrasted with selfishness. But is there such a big difference between them?

What is the difference between selfishness and altruism?

How many examples of famous altruistic people do you know? No. Why? Because the concept of altruism is selflessness. This means that a true altruist will not brag about his good deeds. He will not ask for rewards for his behavior, he will not wait for honors, fame and approval from others.

But the trouble is, many people under altruism hide the desire to please people, to be a worthy and decent member of society, to seem highly moral. All this has nothing to do with selflessness and real help to others.

Egoism, in my opinion, is a little more honest in this respect than altruism. A selfish person is always visible, he does not hide it, honestly and directly says that he puts his desires and principles above others.

The true reason for the altruist's behavior is not always clear. Although many so-called altruists get real pleasure from helping.

An altruist is a person who does not always understand the true motives of his behavior. This means that in doing so, he hopes for one result, but in the end it turns out the other way around.

Golden mean

In the matter of altruism and egoism, it is very important to find a golden mean for yourself. Healthy relationships between people are that everyone benefits from communication. Altruism and egoism can be qualities of one person at the same time, but they are in such a balance that allows a person not to do bad things to others and confidently go towards his goals.

You should not think that selfless help to others is an exceptional good, and the desire to achieve one's own is an inhuman evil. If you find a boundary where you are at peace with others and with yourself, then you can live a happy and free life.

By submitting yourself to the desires of others, you lose your life, you do not work for yourself, you become a slave. It is good and useful to show selfless help, but only in the right and healthy way.

If you feel an imbalance in yourself, others constantly take advantage of you and you can’t get out of this vicious circle, then contact a psychologist. It will help you define the boundaries of really helping others and hurting yourself. He will tell you how you can correct the situation and find the very golden mean that will allow you to build healthy relationships with others and confidently achieve your goals.

I think the following articles may be useful to you: "" and "".

In addition, if you are not so well versed in concepts, then be sure to read the book by Pavel Simonov " About Altruists and Egoists”, there you can find a lot of useful and interesting information.

Remember balance!

Today we will talk about altruism. Where did this concept come from and what is hidden behind this word. Let us analyze the meaning of the expression "altruistic person" and characterize his behavior from the point of view of psychology. And then we will find the differences between altruism and egoism on the example of noble deeds from life.

What is "Altruism"?

The term is based on the Latin word "alter" - "other". In short, altruism is selfless help to others. A person who helps everyone, without pursuing some kind of benefit for himself, is called an altruist.

As the Scottish philosopher and economist of the late 18th century Adam Smith said: “However selfish a person may seem, certain laws are clearly laid down in his nature, forcing him to be interested in the fate of others and consider their happiness necessary for himself, although he himself does not receive anything from this, except for the pleasure of seeing that happiness."

Definition of altruism

Altruism is a human activity aimed at caring for another person, his well-being and satisfaction of his interests.

An altruist is a person whose moral concepts and behavior are based on solidarity and concern, first of all, for other people, for their well-being, observance of their desires and rendering assistance to them.

An individual can be called an altruist when, in his social interaction with others, there are no selfish thoughts about his own benefit.

There are 2 very important points: if a person is really disinterested and claims the right to be called an altruist, then he must be altruistic to the end: help and take care not only of his loved ones, relatives and friends (which is his natural duty), but also provide assistance completely to strangers, regardless of their gender, race, age, official affiliation.

The second important point: to help without the expectation of gratitude and reciprocity. This is the fundamental difference between an altruist and an egoist: an altruistic person, while providing help, does not need and does not expect praise, gratitude, reciprocal favors in return, does not even allow the thought that he is now owed something. He is disgusted by the very idea that with his help he put a person in a dependent position from himself and can expect help or services in return, in accordance with the efforts and means spent! No, a true altruist helps disinterestedly, this is his joy and main goal. He does not refer to his actions as an "investment" in the future, does not mean that it will return to him, he simply gives without expecting anything in return.

In this context, it is good to give an example of mothers and their children. Some mothers give the child everything he needs: education, additional developmental activities that reveal the talents of the child - exactly what he likes HIMSELF, and not his parents; toys, clothes, travel, trips to the zoo and attractions, indulging in sweets on the weekends, and soft, unobtrusive control.
At the same time, they do not expect that the child, having become an adult, will give them money for all these entertainments? Or that he is obliged to be attached to his mother for the rest of his life, not to have a personal life, as she did not, being busy with a baby; spend all your money and time on it? No, such mothers do not expect this - they simply GIVE it, because they love and wish their baby happiness, and then they never reproach their children for the money and effort spent.
There are other mothers. The set of entertainment is the same, but most often it is all imposed: additional activities, entertainment, clothes - not what the child wants, but what the parents choose for him and consider the best and necessary for him. No, maybe at a young age the child himself is not able to adequately choose clothes and food for himself (remember how children love chips, popcorn, sweets in huge quantities and are ready to eat Coca-Cola and ice cream for weeks), but the point is different: parents treat their child as a profitable "investment".

When he grows up, phrases are addressed to him:

• “I didn’t raise you for this!”,
• "You must take care of me!"
• “You disappointed me, I invested so much in you, and you!…”,
• “I spent my young years on you, and how do you pay me for caring?”

What do we see here? The key words are “pay for care” and “invested”.

Got it, what's the catch? In altruism there is no concept of "pride". An altruist, as we have already said, NEVER expects payment for his concern for another person and his good, for his good deeds. He never treats it as an "investment" with subsequent interest, he simply helps, while becoming better and improving himself.

The difference between altruism and selfishness.

As we have already said, altruism is an activity aimed at caring for the well-being of others.

What is selfishness? Selfishness is an activity aimed at caring for one's own well-being. We see here a quite obvious general concept: in both cases there is Activity. But as a result of this activity - the main difference between the concepts. which we are considering.

What is the difference between altruism and selfishness?

1. Activity motive. An altruist does something to make others feel good, while an egoist does something to make himself feel good.
2. The need for "payment" for activities. An altruist does not expect rewards for his activities (monetary or verbal), his motives are much higher. The egoist, on the other hand, considers it quite natural that his good deeds be noticed, "put on the account", remembered and answered with a favor for a favor.
3. The need for fame, praise and recognition. An altruist does not need laurels, praise, attention and glory. Egoists, on the other hand, love it when their actions are noticed, praised and cited as an example as "the most selfless people in the world." The irony of the situation is, of course, glaring.
4. It is more profitable for an egoist to remain silent about his egoism, since this, by definition, is not considered the best quality. At the same time, there is nothing reprehensible in recognizing an altruist as an Altruist, since this is a worthy and noble behavior; it is believed that if everyone were altruists, we would live in a better world.
   As an example of this thesis, we can cite the lines from the song "If Everyone Cared" by Nickelback:
   If everyone cared and nobody cried
   If everyone loved and nobody lied
   If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
   Then we'd see the day when nobody died
   In a loose translation, it can be rephrased as follows: “when everyone takes care of the other and will not be sad, when there will be love in the world and there will be no place for lies, when everyone is ashamed of his pride and learns to share with others – then we will see the day when people will be immortal »
5. By nature, an egoist is an anxious, petty person, chasing his own benefit, being in constant calculations - how to get profit here, where to distinguish himself there, so that they notice. Altruist is calm, noble and self-confident.

Examples of altruistic deeds.

The simplest and most striking example is a soldier who covered a mine with himself so that his comrades-in-arms would survive. There are many such examples during war periods, when, due to dangerous conditions and patriotism, almost everyone wakes up with a feeling of mutual assistance, self-sacrifice and camaraderie. A suitable thesis here can be cited from the popular novel "The Three Musketeers" by A. Dumas: "One for all and all for one."

Another example is the sacrifice of oneself, one's time and energy for the sake of caring for loved ones. The wife of an alcoholic or a disabled person who cannot take care of himself, the mother of an autistic child, forced to take him to speech therapists, psychologists, therapists all his life, to look after and pay for his studies in a boarding school.

In everyday life, we encounter such manifestations of altruism as:

What are the qualities of an altruistic person?

• Unselfishness
• Kindness
• Generosity
• Mercy
• Love for people
• Respect for others
• sacrifice
• Nobility

As we can see, all these qualities have a direction not “towards oneself”, but “away from oneself”, that is, to give, not to take. These qualities are much easier to develop in yourself than it seems at first glance.

How can you develop altruism?

We can become more altruistic if we do two simple things:

1. Help others. Moreover, it is completely disinterested, without demanding a good attitude in return (which, by the way, usually appears exactly when you do not expect it).
2. Engage in volunteer activities - care for others, patronize and care for them. This can be help in shelters for homeless animals, in nursing homes and orphanages, help in hospices and all places where people cannot take care of themselves.

At the same time, there should be only one motive - disinterested help to others, without the desire for fame, money and raising one's status in the eyes of others.

Becoming altruists is easier than it seems. In my opinion, you just need to calm down. Stop chasing profit, fame and respect, calculate the benefits, stop evaluating the opinions of others about yourself and appease the desire to be liked by everyone.

After all, true happiness lies precisely in selfless help to others. As the saying goes, “What is the meaning of life? – in how many people you will help to become better.

Altruist, by classical definition- a person acting in accordance with the principle: try to donate more often and selflessly give to other people.

Sacrifice strength, time, sometimes - money. They give what they sometimes need, as well as much more - attention, care and affection.

It would seem that life with an altruist is wonderful - he strives to give, take care, without demanding anything in return.

But classical altruists, it turns out, also cause irritation. Not so long ago, an experiment was conducted in which, in a collective game, live players (as stated to the participants), one per team, were replaced by soulless computers.

One of them was recorded as a miser and miser, the other - a disinterested altruistic angel. And what would you think? The indignation of teammates was in both cases!

Why do altruists cause so much discontent?

After all, they bring goodness, peace, understanding to the lives of the people around them!

But in fact, there are not one, but two whole secrets - interconnected with each other.

• First of all It is difficult for any person to be absolutely disinterested. Well, how is it - just take it and do it? At least to feel satisfaction and pleasure - to receive moral compensation. Reaffirm your worth in your own eyes. Compliance with certain internal regulations. Get an "I'm good" stroke.
• Secondly, and this is related to the first secret, no one wants to be "worse".

The social contract is tied to the fact that we do not tell each other the truth. In any case, the whole truth that we think.

Many people think of themselves"Oh, I'm good!" There are plenty of reasons to say this about yourself. And only, perhaps, persons close to sociopaths (or even healthy, but very occasionally and in suitable situations) are able to sincerely enjoy “Oh, I'm bad! Great!"

It turns out that next to such an altruistic altruist, no matter how hard you try, you feel worse. For example, just an altruist. Or a simple good person who will come to the rescue. But he will take off his last shirt only in the most extreme case.

Therefore, the altruist is a relative concept. And the more altruist will be with you (or even worse - do you good, benefit you) - the more you will be annoyed. And, in the end, you will find how to "slam" this person in your eyes.

Because in our own eyes we are always the most altruistic, the kindest, the most reasonable... And that's okay! :)

Another thing is that you can still talk a lot about why people become altruists. How is it that an altruist feels the good done to another person more pleasant than his own. Indeed, in theory, it should be the other way around - first of all, provide for yourself and your needs, secondly - also for yourself, and then give the rest to people ...

And finally– a short story about an altruistic dentist

The lady struggled to help the poor, the orphans and the destitute. There used to be a person at the reception - paid, by the way. She sees that next to a large hole of caries there is a small caries next to it - and let's treat for free the one that is smaller.

It happened that he wouldn’t tell the patient that he now has two fillings - so that he doesn’t blurt out at the reception and they don’t force him to pay.

And somehow, over and over again, then this quiet altruism resulted in continuous problems for her. In almost all patients of different sex and age, it was this small filling that fell out. Naturally, they went to complain "to this terrible dentistry." And according to the card, they should have a healthy tooth there ...

Apparently, somehow the world hinted at her. That all labor must be appropriately paid.

In our world, everything is quite balanced. If there is evil, then there is good, hate is opposed to love, and life is opposed to death. Similarly, the term "egoism" has the opposite meaning - "altruism".

Both of these concepts characterize the attitude of a person towards others and are associated with disinterested care - for oneself or for people. Who are altruists and egoists and how do they differ from each other?

Who are altruists?

Word "altruism" comes from latin "alter" and translates as "other, other". This term refers to a disinterested attitude towards other people, concern for their well-being and well-being.

Altruists tend to sacrifice themselves and give up their gain for the common good. The values ​​and interests of society for such people are above all. They do not look for a reason for their actions and do them only because they consider their actions to be right, kind and useful to people.

The altruistic behavior of women and men may differ somewhat. The fair sex usually demonstrate long-term social behavior, such as caring for relatives throughout their lives.

Men are more prone to one-time actions: to save a drowning person or a victim of a fire - they make their decisions under the influence of momentary impulses.


In general, altruists are characterized by kind-hearted actions that are not designed to make a profit or any bonuses. They are always ready to take care of a dying animal, give all their money to someone in need, or help a person, even if this help carries risks to their lives.

Such behavior is usually explained by the unwillingness to observe other people's suffering and moral attitudes, instilled from childhood.

Who are called egoists?

The concept of selfishness is embedded in the Greek word eγώ, translated as "I".A person with selfish inclinations cares only about himself, thinks only about his own benefit and puts his own benefit above others.

The term "selfishness" arose in the 18th century and meant the fundamental priorities of a person over the interests of other people. Over time, researchers began to distinguish between rational egoism, when a person evaluates the possible consequences of his actions, and irrational, in which actions are performed under the influence of impulse or short-sightedness.


There is a theory that each of us is prone to selfishness at the genetic level. We are born with the instinct of self-preservation and try to satisfy our interests first of all throughout life.

Such a theory is explained by the long struggle of mankind for survival and natural selection, within the framework of which people had to exist in a primitive society. Some researchers believe that we do even the most disinterested, at first glance, actions out of selfishness, because we implicitly hope to receive a high assessment of our actions and the approval of others.

According to the findings of scientists, the only child in the family or the one who was often spoiled in childhood, who grew up in an atmosphere of permissiveness and excessive guardianship, usually becomes an egoist. An egoistic child will never allow another to use his toys, and an adult will never give away his work supplies, which can make a colleague's work easier and make him more visible in the eyes of his superiors.

If everyone is languishing in the heat, the egoist will not allow the window to be opened, citing the fact that he is cold. The egoist does not care about the interests and needs of other people, because his priorities are his own bodily and spiritual comfort.

What is the difference between altruists and egoists?

Thus, an altruist lives for the sake of others, an egoist lives for himself. The first does not think about profit and does things for the benefit of people, the second focuses on his "ego" and does not take into account the desires of others.


At the same time, the immeasurable value of human life does not allow us to call egoism evil, and altruism good, because if other people do not suffer from human egoism, then the desire for personal gain is quite possible and justified. In addition, throughout life, under the influence of upbringing and society, a person can change and easily turn from an altruist into an egoist and vice versa.