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
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Who is an altruist?
An altruist is a person who is inclined to selflessly help other people and receives moral satisfaction from this. The words “altruism” and “altruist” are derived from the Greek word alter, which translates as “other.” They imply that a person is inclined to think about other people, put their interests above his own , and selflessly help them by spending his time and other resources. Often an altruist can make quite significant sacrifices to help others.
In psychology, altruism is defined as free service to others , motivated by personal loyalty, sympathy, charity, and other non-material motivations. The degree of self-sacrifice in altruism can vary. Some people simply spend a little time to help another person without much effort, while others are ready to sacrifice their own well-being for the benefit of others.
Altruism often manifests itself under the influence of various social emotions and experiences, such as sympathy, sympathy or benevolence. Moreover, the “border” of altruism can be at different distances. Some people prefer to help only relatives and friends (which also counts). And some people willingly help even complete strangers (such people are called philanthropists).
Volunteer movement
During the period of rethinking one’s life position, one often comes to the conclusion that helping society is much more valuable than helping an individual. Therefore, large volunteer organizations, such as the Salvation Army, Help Exchage, Conservation Volunteers, have developed a whole list of measures and methods for the self-realization of responsive people:
- Restoration and maintenance of the environment.
- Fighting incurable diseases (diagnosis, analysis, vaccine development).
- Conservation of flora and fauna (protection of rare plants, animals, replenishment of populations).
- Help in nursing homes and lonely old people.
- Participation in volunteer groups (for example, cross the road for an elderly woman, remove a kitten from a tree, eliminate a fight).
This is only part of the methods aimed at maintaining social condition. In addition to global measures, various ways are used every day to support those in need. Anyone can join a volunteer organization, regardless of social status, age, or gender. The movement is based on the principles of equality and tolerance, mutual assistance, and collective responsibility.
Thanks to the maintenance of values and morality, different directions of humanism are developing. If a person is always ready to help out and sacrifices his interests, he is considered a true altruist. They do not become one from birth. Positive qualities develop under the influence of life situations and improve throughout life.
How did the term come about?
The moral principle, which implies meaningful help to others to the detriment of oneself, was described in ancient philosophy. But the French philosopher Auguste Comte finally formulated it and coined the term for it at the beginning of the 19th century. He understood altruism as a person’s desire to live for the sake of others. He also highlighted instinctive altruism, dictated by nature, and social altruism, which is formed in a person in the process of upbringing.
It is interesting that Comte contrasted altruism and the Christian principle of self-sacrifice, since the latter is based on the desire of a believer for his own salvation, therefore, motivated by selfishness.
One of the ancient thinkers who promoted similar ideas was Socrates. He believed that the ability to “give and not take” is one of the most important indicators of a person’s morality, demonstrating strength of spirit.
Examples of altruistic actions.
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 awakens a sense 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 sacrificing yourself, your time and energy to care 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 care for and pay for his studies in a boarding school.
In everyday life we encounter such manifestations of altruism as:
- Mentoring. Only this works with complete disinterestedness: training less experienced employees, teaching difficult students (again, without charging a fee for this, just on a noble basis).
- Charity
- Donation
- Organization of subbotniks
- Organizing free concerts for orphans, the elderly and cancer patients.
Pros of an altruist
Psychologists believe that this character trait is usually useful for its owner, despite the fact that it forces one to spend time and other resources on helping others. Sincere altruists receive benefits such as:
- clear conscience;
- untarnished reputation;
- the joy of helping others;
- a large number of friends and grateful people;
- absence of enemies and ill-wishers;
- the ability to always count on the help of others;
- high level of trust;
- awareness of one's own usefulness to the world.
Of course, a true altruist never seeks to receive the listed “bonuses.” Most don't even notice them. Nevertheless, these are serious advantages, thanks to which both the personal life and career of altruists usually develop well.
Disadvantages of an altruist
In addition to the above advantages, there are also certain disadvantages in the life of an altruist:
- excessive sacrifice of one’s own interests (sometimes the altruist’s family may indirectly suffer because of this);
- the tendency to focus on one object for help and not notice that some people may need help more;
- the risk of developing increased heart rate (read about what heart rate is in this article) due to awareness of one’s own value to others;
- some people may begin to exploit the kindness and selflessness of an altruist, literally “sitting on his head”;
- worries about the inability to help a person in need (stress can be so strong that it can lead to a nervous breakdown or other mental disorder).
Taking into account the described advantages and disadvantages, the optimal option is rational altruism, which pushes a person to disinterested but thoughtful help to others. At the same time, there is no need to waste emotional energy in cases where it is not possible to help for some reason. In addition, it is important to monitor cases when someone “sits on their head”, using kindness for selfish purposes.
Why do people become altruists?
There are several theories that explain how such a trait as altruism was formed in the human psyche. The most popular are three of them:
- Evolutionary
. According to this theory, altruism is a genetically determined tendency formed under the influence of evolution. Many thousands of years ago, it helped to survive precisely those tribes in which our ancestors took care of each other and the general well-being. - Social exchange
. This theory implies that altruism is a special form of egoism. By helping others, a person receives satisfaction, and this is what explains his selflessness. - Social Norms Theory
. According to this theory, altruism is formed in a person in the process of education. The reasons for altruism can be different: religious, ethical, ethical and others.
How to become an altruist?
- Whenever possible, help others
. It is better to start with small and uncomplicated tasks, so as not to be disappointed in your abilities ahead of time. At the same time, it is important to help not only loved ones, but also complete strangers. - Having done a good deed, immediately forget about it
. Don't expect gratitude, praise, or kindness in return. If you correctly understand who an altruist is, then you know that he experiences joy simply from simply helping someone. - Stop judging people
. True altruism involves mercy. Just remind yourself that people, when they do anything, are always guided by some motives or make mistakes. Both are normal. - Be generous
. Sometimes people are willing to help others, but can also be tight-fisted. Get rid of this trait and never overestimate material resources. - Share your knowledge
. Knowledge is something that each of us can share for our own benefit. This brings not only satisfaction, but also a better understanding of the material being told. - Live in harmony with others
. An altruist not only helps others, but also makes sure not to create inconvenience for them and not become an instigator of conflicts. - Avoid demonstrative acts of kindness
. A true altruist must be humble. He never strives to have his good deed noticed. Try to do something good for a person without him ever knowing about it. Difficult? But this is one of the best exercises for developing altruism (and for self-development in general).
Is altruism good or bad?
Scientists, philosophers, and psychologists have not reached a consensus on whether altruism is good or bad.
For psychological balance, it is necessary to combine altruistic actions with a certain amount of selfishness. These two concepts complement each other. If a person only gives and receives nothing in return, then his resource will sooner or later run out.
That is, if we discuss altruism, its positive and negative features, then it is important to strive for harmony and not to forget about ourselves in helping our neighbors. How can we not remember the religious commandment - love your neighbor as yourself.
A Canadian biologist and doctor who lived in the 20th century and studied the nature of stress in detail, recommended altruistic egoism as the basis of universal ethics in human relationships. This is how sincere friendship, trusting relationships and mutual love are born.
Famous altruists
There are numerous examples of altruism in life. Thousands of soldiers, realizing that they would die, covered their comrade with their bodies or took the fire themselves and saved dozens of people. In this case, altruism is similar to selflessness.
Some of the actions of German industrialist Oskar Schindler to save Jews during World War II can be attributed to altruism. Schindler was not a righteous man, however, saving thousands of people from certain death in concentration camps was associated with enormous risk and cost the industrialist a lot of money. It is unlikely that Schindler was motivated by a thirst for fame, but rather by compassion and mercy, so his actions can be regarded as altruism.
Many experienced company employees help newcomers completely disinterestedly, simply out of empathy and a friendly attitude towards people. And this can also be attributed to altruism.
Many people donate huge sums to charity while remaining in the shadows. As an example, there are many cases of help from people of different incomes to doctors and hospitals during the coronavirus epidemic in the world.
