Who is an altruist and how does he differ from other people? An altruist is the highest degree of egoist or its complete opposite.

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Altruism (Latin Alter - other) is a moral principle that prescribes selfless actions aimed at the benefit and satisfaction of the interests of another person (other people). Typically used to denote the ability to sacrifice one's own benefit for the common good.

The term altruism was introduced in opposition to egoism. The concept of altruism was introduced by the French philosopher and founder of sociology Auguste Comte. Postulate: Altruism is Love in action. If you think about it, a lot will be revealed, for example, that Love and lust at first sight are not the same thing, and hasty marriages are almost all built on attraction, not on Love. That Love is not a sexual feeling, not a food feeling (although I love barbecue) or any other feeling, but the brightest thing in your soul embodied in the external, making this external extremely close to your understanding and acceptance. Altruism is the manifestation of this feeling in direct action aimed at causing good in the way you understand this good. It happens - picking a beautiful flower to put it in a crystal vase. Just as Love happens despite hatred, so altruism does not necessarily manifest itself to an object that seems beautiful, and this is a scale dividing people, starting from zero, who are not given such impulses at all, through those who save only a beautiful girl and give alms only a pretty old woman, similar to the ideal image of a poor teacher, to those who are generally unable to remain indifferent to any manifestations of evil and injustice (again, as he himself understands it).

As usual, an explanatory dictionary: “Altruism is a selfless concern for the welfare of others, a willingness to sacrifice one’s personal interests for others.”

The term "altruism" was proposed by the French thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857) in order to express the concept opposite to egoism. Comte's principle of altruism said: “Live for others.” Og. Comte characterizes with it the selfless motives of a person, which entail actions for the benefit of other people. The concept of altruism has been used in Kabbalah for more than five thousand years in a row. Only in Hebrew it is a much deeper concept. In Kabbalah there is a definition of absolute egoism - “kilim de Kabbalah”, or, more simply, the desire to receive. This is how our egoistic nature is designated. And there is also the concept of the Creator, or simply the Creator. Its nature is designated as “ashpaa” - it is the desire to give, it is also universal altruism. But from the Soviet point of view, which is given in the B. Soviet Encyclopedia: “In the bourgeoisie. In ethics, the preaching of altruism usually hypocritically covers up the selfish essence of capitalism. Scientific Marxist-Leninist ethics established that the basis of morality is not the relationship between individuals, but, first of all, the relationship between social classes.” According to some evolutionary theories of morality (for example, P. A. Kropotkin, K. Kessler, V. P. Efroimson), humanity in its formation went through group selection for morality, in particular, for altruism: those groups survived whose individuals appeared and a genetic structure is fixed that determines altruistic - helping, selfless, sacrificial - behavior. If we take into account the evolutionists’ special understanding of altruism as an individual behavior that increases the possibilities of adaptation and reproduction of a related group with a possible decrease in the individual’s chances, then it becomes clear that altruism was one of the biological tools of fitness not of the individual, but of relatives, that is, “aggregate fitness."

Altruism is a selfless concern for others and a willingness to sacrifice one's personal interests for others. This is when you drag a wounded cat home, although this will add to your worries; this is when you help a fallen, disgusting-looking old man get up, but having picked him up, you suddenly experience an inexplicable feeling of satisfaction. This is when you leave money to an acquaintance in trouble, without hinting in any way where it came from and without wondering whether he might go off the rails from such grace. The motivation for altruism, by definition, is precisely desires that are not associated with any self-interest.

A person does nothing without wanting to. No matter how disgusting the action was to him, if he began to perform it, then something seriously prompted him to do so. What? A system of significance, value, with the help of which a choice is made, including the lesser of two evils. As a result, a person is physically unable to deny himself even a minor action, unless there is a stronger motivation not to perform it. This is the whole “power” of any habits and drug addiction. That’s the whole ceiling of a person’s spirituality... At the same time, a person can demonstrate miracles of manifestations of spirituality if the motivation for this (promising inspiration by someone, excess energy of desires generated by the calls of the flesh, etc.) is sufficient.

Altruism refers only to what is realized - you cannot talk about the altruism of a washing machine spinning someone's dirty swimming trunks. An altruist does good (in his own mind, of course) not in order to have peace or joy in his soul. This would be real self-interest. As a result of an altruistic act, a person may receive immediate death instead of compensation when, without any hesitation, he rushes to push a child out from under the wheels. He is exactly like love, which is not because of something or for something. It is there and everything is here, for no apparent reason, and people light up with this light from time to time.

Just as all “correct” (from the point of view of a personal value system, the basis of which is laid down genetically) behavioral acts are encouraged by a state of satisfaction, like sexual behavior, in the same way altruism leads to satisfaction, which subsequently further predetermines such behavior. This remains to be accepted as is. It is not vulgar because it constitutes our essence along with love, and true love is not vulgar. Whether we like it or not, altruism is inherent in humans from the very beginning. However, in huge flocks the circle of light of altruism is limited to loved ones. There are human individuals whose circle of light generally closes on itself. They take advantage of what others give them and in return benefit themselves. It would seem that at this stage of the development of civilization, the ancient mechanisms of altruism are no longer needed. Many people are sure of this. But this is a big misconception. There are many historical examples when communities and peoples in which there were no carriers of true altruism left, whose cultures were deprived of altruistic examples, essentially became an accumulation of unrelated individuals and disappeared without a trace. Altruism is the cementing basis of culture and morality that unites people. Without it, in many cases, any reason for general interaction is lost. And there are many circumstances in the world when survival becomes problematic without unity. You can come up with many different reasons for unity: religion, common goals and interests, but all this is actually based on a deeper and more common feeling that came from our ancestors - herd unity. You can deny it and be completely wrong. But this is a purely personal matter, as is demonstrated by each inventor of his theories of the world.

Article in the newspaper: “LITTLE RESCUE. 11-year-old Oleg Vityazev was awarded the Order of Courage posthumously. He saved a drowning girl, but he himself died.” Where does this impulse come from for an 11-year-old child? On a hill in Jerusalem, 800 trees planted in a single line form the Road of the Righteous. Under each tree lies a plaque bearing the name of a European Christian who saved the life of one or more Jews during the Nazi Holocaust. These “righteous infidels” knew that if fugitives were discovered among them, they would be exposed, according to Nazi policy, to the same danger as the people they were sheltering. During the Vietnam War, 63 American soldiers received medals of honor for saving their comrades from death in an explosion. Most of them covered unexploded grenades with their bodies. 59 of these 63 soldiers died. This is a specific example with specific numbers. What can we say about our Patriotic War, where there were hundreds of thousands of similar examples! Unlike other altruists (such as the 50,000 non-Jews who are now believed to have saved 200,000 Jews from the Nazis), these soldiers had no time to feel shame for their cowardice or to contemplate eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. It’s obvious that it’s not worth talking about people like Mother Teresa.

B.F. Skinner analyzed the phenomenon of altruism and came to the following conclusion: “We respect people for their good actions only when we cannot explain these actions. We explain the behavior of these people by their internal dispositions only when we lack external explanations. When external reasons are obvious, we proceed from them, and not from the characteristics of the individual. Often we help others not because we have consciously calculated that such behavior is in our interests, but simply because something tells us that we should do so. We must help the old lady cross the road. We must return the wallet to the person who lost it. We must stand up for the child who is being bullied. We must protect our comrades from possible death or injury. The belief that people should provide help to those in need, regardless of possible future benefits, is a norm of social responsibility. It is this norm that encourages people, for example, to pick up a book that a man on crutches has dropped. Experiments show that even when helpers remain unknown and do not expect any gratitude, they often help people in need. Those who love always strive to come to the aid of their beloved. However, an intuitive, unconscious desire to help does not necessarily have to apply to the human being with whom you are connected by bonds of love or friendship. Quite the contrary, the altruistic desire to help a complete stranger has long been considered proof of especially refined nobility. Such disinterested impulses of altruism are valued extremely highly in our society and even, as experts say, they themselves carry a moral reward for the troubles caused to us. When we experience empathy, we focus our attention less on our own distress and more on the suffering of others. The clearest example of empathy is the unconditional, immediate provision of help to people to whom we feel affection. Among scientists studying the relationship between selfishness and empathy, there were different points of view, numerous experiments were conducted: they really wanted to reliably determine whether a person is capable of absolute selflessness... The results of the experiments indicated that yes, he is capable, but skeptic scientists argued that not a single one the experiment cannot exclude all possible selfish motives for providing assistance. However, further experiments and life itself have confirmed that there are people who care about the welfare of others, sometimes even to the detriment of their own welfare. “Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759: “However selfish man may seem, there are clearly laid down in his nature certain laws which compel him to take an interest in the fate of others and to consider their happiness necessary to himself, although he himself gains nothing from it, except pleasure to see this happiness."

The concept of altruism is closely related to goodness and love for all humanity. People sincerely admire those who are willing to devote their lives to selfless service to others and to reveal their best character traits in their interactions with others. Who is an altruist? Obviously, someone who knows how to care for nothing, without demanding or expecting anything in return from the opponent. This article offers a detailed understanding of this issue.

The essence of the concept

What is an altruist? What should such a person be like, his personal characteristics and individual characteristics? First of all, of course, he has a generosity of heart, a subtle mental organization. He is distinguished by a high desire to provide all possible help to other people and to participate in their lives.

Unlike the egoist, the altruist is not at all concerned about the issue of individual success. It cannot be said that this person does not care about his own well-being, he simply finds special pleasure and satisfaction in the fact that he unselfishly gives his warmth and care to others without the intention of receiving anything in return. In fact, there are very few such people. After all, basically each of us is concerned about personal benefits.

Form of expression

Who is an altruist? How can you understand that this is a typical representative? Such a person, as a rule, behaves more than modestly in communication: he does not try to talk much about himself, and is often embarrassed and embarrassed. His interest in the lives of those around him is sincere and genuine. If he makes promises, he always keeps them, regardless of whether it is convenient for him or not. No one can accuse a person of an altruistic character of being inattentive to people. Such a person will never set you up or betray you. If there is a sincere and self-sufficient person next to you, know that you are very lucky.

Goodness and creation

Who is an altruist? At his core, he is a person whose life has a broad focus on being as useful as possible. With his best character qualities, such a person can serve a large number of people: help them overcome significant difficulties, make the right choice. Constant creation is an integral characteristic of altruistic consciousness. It is unacceptable for him not only to offend his interlocutor, but even to cause him some minor inconvenience or upset.

An altruistic mood presupposes a conscious desire for charity. Selfless dedication very soon makes such people famous in their social circle: people turn to them for help, their advice is sought and appreciated. Sometimes, however, there are those who want to take advantage of this complacency and generosity. An altruist is least prone to suspicion and is absolutely not protected from deception and loss.

The opposite of an altruist is an egoist. Such a person, as is known, is capable of caring only about his own well-being. She is completely uninterested and unmoved by the needs of other people. An egoist will never be completely happy, because his consciousness is limited: he does not know how to give, but only wants to receive.

Striving to see the best in everything

An altruist is distinguished by a persistent love of life and faith in the selflessness of other people. Even if those around him do not at all live up to his hopes and expectations, he continues to perform his daily feat: to do everything possible to be useful to loved ones, relatives and simply people with whom he knows well. Sometimes even the fate of a stranger can interest him more than his own. The desire to see the best in everything helps him survive failures and significant hardships of fate.

We hope this article clearly and completely answers the question of who an altruist is and highlights its main features.

According to definitions, altruism is a selfless concern for the welfare of other people. A manifestation of altruism includes selflessness - sacrificing one’s personal interests for the sake of another person. Altruism is interpreted as a kind of good, the highest manifestation of virtue.

Altruism concept

The term “altruism” (from the Latin “alter” - “other”) was French and “father” - Auguste Comte. According to Comte, a kind of altruism: “Live for others.” It is worth noting that the concept was identified on the basis of long-term observations of people’s behavior. It turned out that many people, even notorious scoundrels and criminals, love someone in their lives and care about these people. And for the sake of their loved ones, many are ready to step over their own principles, beliefs, to provide help or assistance in anything.

Many observations and experiments were carried out in order to find out the ability of people to take care of others completely unselfishly. The results prove that people are capable of this, but it can be very difficult to identify the true motives.

Altruism and egoism

Contrasted with altruism, of course, is egoism, which is presented as a kind of manifestation of evil. Unlike altruism, egoism presupposes the dominance of one's own interests over public ones. To some extent, it is generally accepted that selfishness is something bad and vicious. However, it is worth understanding that neither altruism nor egoism are “ultimate truths,” and with a high degree of confidence it can be argued that both are virtues in reasonable proportions.

Almost every person has both altruistic and selfish inclinations. Imposed care can have the opposite effect to the altruist's expectations. And giving up your own goals and dreams can hardly be perceived as a pure good. Failure to realize your own desires very often leads to unhappiness in life.

It is worth understanding that both altruism and egoism in their pure form practically do not exist. All-encompassing philanthropy and similar self-love actually make sense within the context. Perhaps most people will be able, after delving into themselves, to agree with the statement that most often people are altruists and egoists in relation to specific individuals, groups of the population, and not to all inhabitants of the globe.

To understand the phenomenon of altruism, it is easiest to cite the opposite concept - egoism. Indeed, altruism and egoism are concepts that are always found side by side; they are often cited as an example in order to strengthen and brighten the meaning and principle of one of them.

And if egoists are considered people of not the best qualities, condemning their indifference to others, then altruistic behavior evokes admiration, joy and many other positive emotions in people.

After all, an altruist is a person who will help everyone, extend his reliable hand in difficult times, and will not leave you in trouble. He is not indifferent to the grief of others, and the problems of others are sometimes more important to him than his own. It is to him that people rush for help or even simple advice, knowing that this wonderful person will not turn away.

And the opposite of altruism, human egoism, is often considered a vice and condemned. However, sometimes altruism is confused with mercy, kindness, or even simple weakness. But in fact, it has some features, including:

  • Selflessness - a person does his good exclusively for free, without expecting anything in return.
  • Priority - other people's interests are always placed in primary place relative to personal interests.
  • Sacrifice is the willingness to sacrifice one’s money, time, pleasure, etc. for the sake of others.
  • Voluntariness - only a conscious and voluntary choice can be considered altruism.
  • Satisfaction – a person derives joy and satisfaction from sacrificing for others without feeling disadvantaged.
  • Responsibility - a person is ready to bear it by doing certain things.

The main principle of altruism, as defined by psychologist and philosopher Auguste Comte, is to live for the sake of people, and not for oneself. Such a person is selfless and does not expect anything in return when he does a good deed. He is not characterized by an egoistic type of behavior; he does not put his career, personal development, or any of his other interests first. Altruism can be an innate quality of character in a person, it can be acquired intentionally, or it can manifest itself over the years, and at any age.

Types and examples

Altruism involves selfless help, sacrifice and living for humanity. But there are a variety of types of altruism, which can complement each other, combined in one person, or can exist separately:

1. Moral (or moral). Such a person does good deeds for the sake of a feeling of inner peace and moral satisfaction. He helps poor people, is involved in active volunteer work, takes care of animals, participates in various social programs, doing a lot of selfless good.

2. Parental. This altruistic type is characteristic of many mothers, sometimes also fathers, and it manifests itself in sacrifice for the good of the children. This behavior is habitual and natural, but irrational. The mother is ready to give her life and all benefits for the sake of the child, she lives for him, forgetting about her own interests.

3. Social altruism is a type of behavior in which a person tries to show selfless support and help loved ones, that is, friends, family members, and people from close circles fall under the scope of his help.

4. The demonstrative type of altruism is a behavior scenario that is carried out not consciously, but because “it’s necessary.”

5. Sympathetic - perhaps the rarest type. Such a person knows how to empathize, acutely senses the pain of others and understands what others feel. Therefore, he always strives to help, to improve someone’s situation, and, which is typical, he always brings what he starts to the end, not limiting himself to partial help.

It is also characteristic that altruistic behavior often lasts longer in women than in men. Altruistic men are prone to spontaneous “outbursts” of goodness and mercy; they can commit a heroic act, risking their lives, while a woman will prefer to take responsibility for someone for many years, giving her life for another. However, this is only a statistical feature, not a rule, and examples of altruism vary widely.

There are many such examples in history. Among them, spiritual personalities especially stand out - Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa - the list goes on for a long time. They gave their lives from beginning to end to selfless service to people. Can you imagine that, for example, Buddha had some personal interests of his own?

On the way to perfection

Now, inspired by the examples, everyone will want to know how to become an altruist, what needs to be done for this? But before moving on to this issue, it is worth first clearly understanding whether it is good to be one hundred percent altruistic, whether there are disadvantages and hidden nuances to this quality, and what psychology says about this.

Most often, people who consider such a quality as selfishness to be vicious and bad deliberately strive for altruism. But if you think about what altruism and egoism are, it becomes clear that both of these qualities are to some extent natural and present in every personality.

Healthy egoism, shown in moderation, will not cause any harm and, on the contrary, is even necessary. Thinking about your own interests, protecting them, taking care of yourself, striving for benefits, development and personal growth, understanding your desires and respecting them - are these the qualities of a bad person? On the contrary, it characterizes a strong and conscious personality. Where did such a negative attitude towards selfishness come from?

Most often, a person who strives for his own good is condemned by people like him, but those who expect some kind of help from him (although he, in fact, is not obliged). Not getting what he expected, they begin to condemn him. And if this happens at an early age, when the personality and psyche are just being formed, then the result is obvious - the person blocks healthy egoism in himself, considering it a vice, and begins to live to his own detriment.

Of course, selfishness to the extreme does not bring anything good, because an absolutely selfish person is simply antisocial. But this should not mean that taking care of your interests is bad. So, the opposite of selfless altruism, in fact, does not contain anything vicious or bad.

And, since extremes are bad in everything, then altruistic behavior in the extreme degree of its manifestation is not necessarily holiness. Before becoming an altruist and rushing to help those in need, it is worth understanding your motives. Selfless service to the world and humanity must be precisely selfless, and this is not so easy. There are a number of hidden motives that psychology notes in manifestations of intentional altruism. In other words, this is the goal for which a person tries to do good deeds:

  • Self confidence. By helping others, a person gains confidence in his abilities and feels that he can do something. It has been noticed that it is for others that a person is able to do more than for himself.
  • Making amends for bad deeds. Sometimes people who are interested in altruism are those who have either done a serious bad deed, or have not lived entirely correctly for a long time and have caused a lot of pain to other people. It is very good if a person has come to such changes, but it is worth realizing that in this case you need to completely change yourself, and not count bad and good deeds, as if paying off your own conscience.
  • Manifestation and assertion of oneself in society. If altruism has negative examples, then this is the case. Such a person demonstratively does good, and if he donates or engages in charity, he attracts as many witnesses as possible. Altruism, by definition, has nothing to do with self-interest, so such behavior is far from true sacrifice.
  • Manipulation of people. Another negative example of how a person does good deeds for his own selfish purposes. He helps relatives and friends, does a lot for friends, is ready to help, but with the goal of manipulating them and receiving respect, dependence, and love in return.

The only goal, perhaps, that can be subconsciously pursued by a true altruist is a feeling of happiness and harmony with the world and with oneself. After all, even the meaning of the word “altruist” itself comes from “other,” that is, a person who thinks about others, so what kind of self-interest can we talk about!

And the desire to be happy is a natural and healthy desire that is characteristic of every harmonious, developing personality. And the best part is that altruistic behavior actually brings a feeling of happiness!

How can we begin to change, what rules of true altruism should we learn so as not to go to extremes, not to forget about our own interests, but at the same time receive happiness from helping others? The main thing is voluntariness and the absence of a clear plan. Just help someone in need, do it secretly without showing your achievement, and feel inner satisfaction. There are so many who need help!

You don't have to be rich to help. After all, in altruism, warm words of support, empathy, and attention matter. The most valuable thing you can sacrifice is your time! Don't forget about your loved ones. It is a very sad situation in which a person actively and fanatically helps the homeless, animals and the poor, spending all his time on this, while at home the family suffers from the lack of his attention. Give your soul to people, give yourself, and you will be surprised how much inner light you have, and how much you get by giving! Author: Vasilina Serova

Hello, dear friends and guests of my blog! Today I will touch on the topic of 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 this is very relevant now, and our society needs to awaken these wonderful qualities in itself. I hope my article will help you with this.

The meaning of the word altruist is completely opposite to the word egoist. That is, this is a person who cares about others, does things and actions 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 unselfishness still means acting not from inferiority, but most likely from abundance. This abundance does not necessarily manifest itself in some kind of material wealth of a person, but 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 philotropy (from the Greek love of humanity). 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. For people prone to altruism, the heart chakra works well. Externally, they can be recognized by their eyes, which emit a warm radiance. As a rule, altruistic individuals are optimists. Instead of wasting time being depressed and complaining about the world, they simply make it a better place.

Examples of altruistic activities

The properties of altruistic actions may differ between genders. As a rule, in women they are longer in nature. For example, they often give up their career for the benefit of their family. Men, on the contrary, are characterized by momentary heroic impulses: to pull a person out of a fire, to throw themselves into an embrasure. As Alexander Matrosov and many other unknown heroes did during the Great Patriotic War.

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 a sick person, pushing him to the surface so that he can breathe. Cats, dogs, foxes, and walruses nurse orphaned cubs as if they were their own.

Altruism also includes volunteering, donating, mentoring (only on condition that the teacher does not charge a fixed fee for this).

Famous people are altruists

Some altruistic acts are so strong in their depth that they go down in history for a long time. Thus, during World War II, 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 to save his workers, he made many sacrifices: he spent a lot of money on paying off officials, and risked going to prison. A book was written in his honor and the film “Schindrer’s List” was made. Of course, he could not know that this would glorify him, so this act can be considered truly altruistic.

One of the real altruists is the Russian doctor Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz. He dedicated his life to serving humanity, for which he became known as the “holy doctor.” Fyodor Petrovich helped poor people with medicines and softened the fate of prisoners and exiles. His favorite words, which can be made a motto for altruists, are: “Hurry to do good! Know how to forgive, desire reconciliation, overcome evil with good. Try to raise the fallen, soften the embittered, correct the morally damaged.”

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

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

Hidden motives

As I already said, our souls have a natural 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 awakens in a person.

Let me give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will sign his house over to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the initial goal that this girl pursues is not helping a person, but immediate benefit after that.

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

Self-promotion

Increasingly, good deeds (selfless at first glance) are performed with the aim of increasing one’s reputation. World stars have all taken up charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the “potlatch effect”, in honor of the Indian ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp conflicts arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but this was an unusual battle. Each tribal leader held a feast to which he invited his enemies. He generously treated them and presented them with expensive gifts. In this way they showed their power and wealth.

Personal sympathy

The most common motive for altruistic actions is sympathy. People are more pleased 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 there is still a significant difference, because here there is love for one’s neighbors.

Ennui

Some people devote their entire lives to altruistic acts and service to society, without experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving the souls of others, so as not to hear the cry for help from his own.

True selflessness

True altruism has two important principles - selflessness and spiritual satisfaction from a good deed.

Let's consider this situation. A man on crutches walks next to 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 anything good for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. How will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then there is no smell of true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act makes your soul warm, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.

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

In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sit 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 from those who are just trying to take advantage of you.

Video

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

Ruslan Tsvirkun wrote for you. I wish you to grow and develop spiritually. 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.