Isn't everything we do selfish?

[WirelessBrain]

For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

[dlxrevolution]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: What do you think?

No.

If I take a shit, ultimately, it's feeding the insects and helping the environment.

[PIED3]

Even if being selfless was possible what would be the point? Of course i'm going to act in the way that's in MY best interests, i am me after all.

[GHOST-KILLA]

This topic is made like once every week. The answer is yes.

[Rawnern]

Yes. Boys think with their penis. There you have one example.

[Gunmage]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

You can choose to look at it that way, or you can choose to look at it another way. In the end, what's the difference?

[MrPercie]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

you should whip yourself while you do it, to cancel out the good feeling.

[Landpaddle]

At 5/1/12 01:07 PM, ScaryPicnic wrote:

At 5/1/12 12:45 PM, Natick wrote: So doing something for someone is just another way to benefit yourself, essentially?

ITT: OP learns about altruism and all of it's bullshit.

natick shows his satanic flair

Shut up. You both have good tastes in music, so why argue?

sigh

Your brain functions on the basis of stimulus and the connections between neurons, so the more one lures themselves into the trap of doing things for themselves, the more connections are established and reinforced in that regard, and the more one becomes selfish.

Just do some things for others because you can. 'Good' things. But that doesn't mean you have to be completely selfless.

Strike a balance..

[kisame]

Yes. Now stop making these bullshit philosophy topics.

[NeutralObjections]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

Unless, of course, you actually do something you DON'T want to do in order to help others. Than you're being selfless.

[Gagsy]

Not really. I once helped an old lady walk about 200 yards. It took us 30 minutes, even with her holding onto my arm. When we arrived at her house, her neighbour was watching through the curtains and rushed out shooing me away as if I was trying to rob the old woman.

Did I gain any form of satisfaction from helping the eldery woman walk home when she was struggling? Not really. I had my dog with me after all and my own shopping, it was getting late and was cold and my shopping bag plus the ladies arm was weighing me down. Yes I did it to be nice but I got nothing in return for it, no good feeling, not even a thank you. As the old woman was busy chatting away to her neighbour that she didn't notice the rudeness thrust upon me. I don't blame her for anything. May she rest in peace.

[SKHM]

Treasure me, measure me, blood line thick. My ass is street; cutthroat, turn your turtleneck into a wet tee. And I'm coming through the airport looking like I'm a king. What you mean? Diamonds rings I use to boost my self-esteem.

This may be my selfish dream.

'Cause this a selfish world, don't dare me.

[Silverdust]

I've heard this philosophical subject come up a few times and my answer remains the same. I don't think it is appropriate to limit human interaction to "selfish" or "selfless". It seems apparent that there is a spectrum between the two that we wander around depending on the situation. You can help someone because you do care about their wellbeing more than your own, and still feel good about it. Personally, I help others because it's just the right thing to do and I live by the golden rule. I'm not really seeking happiness from it; but there's nothing wrong with feeling a little joy from making someone's day better. If anything, that is cultural evolution at work.

[SKHM]

no action is either selfish or unselfish entirely

lol @ false dichotomies and outmoded aristotelian logic

[SKHM]

At 5/1/12 02:19 PM, SKHM wrote: no action is either selfish or unselfish entirely

lol @ false dichotomies and outmoded aristotelian logic

everything i do is selfish tho

[Ryanson]

I do things to help others, and I do things to help me. Sometimes I do things that help both, sometimes neither. It depends on a bunch of stuff that no one cares about.

[SKHM]

At 5/1/12 02:36 PM, Ryanson wrote: It depends on a bunch of stuff that no one cares about.

do you roll dice

man that would be cool

someone who is selfish or unselfish depending on the roll of dice

[Ryanson]

At 5/1/12 02:37 PM, SKHM wrote: someone who is selfish or unselfish depending on the roll of dice

I roll dice that determines how many coins I flip, which determines what I do for the rest of the day.

[SKHM]

At 5/1/12 02:41 PM, Ryanson wrote:

At 5/1/12 02:37 PM, SKHM wrote: someone who is selfish or unselfish depending on the roll of dice

I roll dice that determines how many coins I flip, which determines what I do for the rest of the day.

you are a superhero to me

[Thedark]

No
if i help someone i do it to help 9 if you know what i mean)

[Doctor-Pepper]

At 5/1/12 01:21 PM, Gagsy wrote: Did I gain any form of satisfaction from helping the eldery woman walk home when she was struggling? Not really.

Egocentricity as a whole is not about satisfaction but personal gain. What u gained here, is the fact that you were able to tell that story about how you helped someone and didnt gain anything. The fact remains, that on some level you are proud that you were able to help someone and not expect any kind of acknowledgment in return. Selfish. And it's not a bad thing, the problem is there are many definitions for "selfish" but only 1 word for them all. You can be selfish at the cost of other people and you can be selfish and have no effect on anyone or anything. 1 word, 2 definitions. Ultimately, being selfish with no real benefit is just being afraid of being selfish at the cost of others, which translates into benefiting you, because:
a. Satisfaction of a selfless act (neutralizing the selflessity)
b. Satisfactions in not provoking negative feelings

My point is, being selfish is not a bad thing. Many think it is, but just because they mix different meanings with different expressions. Smart enough to think about interconnections, yet unable to use intraconnection

[Boss]

you are TRULY a plilopospher

[Cordyceps]

babby's first ayn rand novel

[SKHM]

At 5/1/12 04:11 PM, Cordyceps wrote: babby's first ayn rand novel

sometimes my knees hurt after reading ayn rand

are her novels dangerous to my health

[Kwing]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

Correct. We are only able to experience feelings, both physical and emotional, from one source: ourselves. By creating friendships and other relationships with people, we form a stronger conduit between ourselves and those people to create a superbody, and thus feel the pain and happiness of others, though that empathy rarely exceeds our feelings for ourselves.

[aListers]

At 5/1/12 11:15 AM, WirelessBrain wrote: For example if you help a guy out you're just doing it so he feels happy and you feel happy therefore its just you doing it for your own gain and vice versa. What do you think?

I've been doing that knowingly for the last couple of years now. I can trick myself easily.

[bismuthfeldspar]

well this one time I slapped myself across the face, it really hurt and I didn't want to do it, so either I just broke the law of physics or we can do things that aren't in our benefit, even though technically what I did wasn't selfless either