Read and Respond

Ok, here goes, for those joining this transmission recently I am prone to post some of my thoughts and opnions. I always welcome comments and would like for exeryone to be respectful.

So here goes.

So the other day I was thinking to my self again (I seem to be the best conversationalist i can find, I am not arrogant either, how dare you say that). I was reading a wonderful book and the author had a conversation between two characters. One of the people was thanking another for a kind act and wanted to know what prompted the act of "altruism", to which the answer was for reasons that a) did not need to be said, and b) "altruism" is merely a term for selfishness with camouflage.

I do not think that services done for another are necessarily termed "altruism", but i do believe that the term "Altruism" is over used and poorly used at best, and may be nothing than a verbal phantasm on the other hand. I intend to state an opinion here and back it up with what arguments and reasoning work for me, if you disagree, I am welcome to your input, but be polite please.

The first step in this sort if discourse is to normally lay out and define the terms involved. Altruism I would define is action with the sole intent to do good for another, there are no other motivations allowed, there should be no allowance for other reasoning, otherwise it is filling a need or desire of your own and is not valid altruism. I think another definition that needs to be stated is "selfishness" or "self interest", these I would define as having any benefit for the performer, if you do something due to the fact that it makes you feel good, or important, or anything like that it has some element of selfishness in it.

My opinion is that "altruism" is merely a smokescreen for people, it is a work that folks use to mask true intentions. Sometimes "altruism" is a way of saying, "I felt good knowing that what pass off as pocket change is a weeks money to another person". Other days it has the sense of "I know that i did something good today, and I am glad I could do that". Both of these are cases where I think we are throwing clouds of dust in the way. In my opinion, doing something that would help to enforce your own sense of importance and position is the height of selfishness and self promotion, but often it is the end result of "altruistic" acts.

Is the intention of a sports star to feed needy people at the soup kitchen, or clothe them with a donation, or is it to serve out a probation, send a fine to someplace to get recognition, or to show that despite their other action they are actually a much better person than some of their actions bear out? So often I have seen reporters show up to some football player working at habitat for humanity, or a soup kitchen and the player drops everything to talk about how great they are and what all they get out of helping out. This to me send the wrong message, "help out, it is all about how you feel at the end of the day". What message are we really sending when that is the end result.

I have seen this answer given in many churches too, and it saddens me. The "pitch" for the work project, or nursery help, or anything at the church. The pitch always includes the clause, ".... and you know at the end of it, you will feel good about doing something nice".

I think that when someone who claims Christianity, the answer for why the do something the only good answer is "This is my service and sacrifice to God." That being said, I think that honesty is still the best course in most cases. So if asked, give the honest answer to your intentions, I hope that mine can always be "My service and Sacrifice to God is to do this for You."; I fear that more often than not I let "Altruism" be my smoke screen for saying that I get to feel superior or better due to my actions, and that is why I am out there.

The basic premise for anyone that read this far: Be honest, with yourself most of all. Let your good works be of God, the only instigator of good in this world. If you do "good" and have intentions other than Obedience, be honest, say that you know it is what you are supposed to do, and you get a good feeling out of it, bu by no mean let the impression be given that your actions are totally pure in that case, the intentions matter.

I know this probably makes little sense, I wrote it over the course of several days, so it is a bit disjointed.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think, I might just have to write a disagreement with my self later.

Craziness

So yeah, I have been away for a while, and it has been really difficult to sit down and write some. I know i need to get better about it, but everyone knows how the whole holiday season can get.

I am well these days, busy with work and church, stuff at home, and all of that. My life is boring, and I am always tired these days. I have really been encouraged these past few weeks by some of the youth at church, I actually was there while they stayed on topic and discussed the lesson of the week, it was pretty cool.

I got to go riding this weekend at Terry Hershey, it was a freaking blast. I am glad I went on Saturday, as today looks like it is the start of a new ice age for Houston. Riding was sort of interesting this week, I got to show a whole group of guys the trails and lead them around some. I got to be the "'ol guy" who knew the trails and really got to show off some riding too.

Soon I hope to be posting a more philosophical ranting, something that came to me a while back and I really need to get out, but i want it to be right also. It will be about the concept of "altruism". Stay Tuned, and as always leave a comment or hit a link.