quotations about altruism
He who would do good to another must do it in Minute Particulars;
General Good is the plea of the scoundrel, hypocrite, and flatterer.
WILLIAM BLAKE
Jerusalem
For as we all know, real love is altruism. It is finding oneself through giving up oneself.
JOHN DANIEL BARRY
"Love", Reactions and Other Essays Discussing Those States of Feeling and Attitude of Mind That Find Expression In Our Individual Qualities
Still, doubting altruism is easy, even when it seems at first glance to be apparent. It's undeniable that people sometimes act in a way that benefits others, but it may seem that they always get something in return -- at the very least, the satisfaction of having their desire to help fulfilled. Students in introductory philosophy courses torture their professors with this reasoning. And its logic can seem inexorable.
JUDITH LICHTENBERG
"Is Pure Altruism Possible?", New York Times, October 19, 2010
My dear, I used to think I was serving humanity ... and I pleasured in the thought. Then I discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it. So now I do what pleases myself.
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN
Stranger in a Strange Land
Effective altruism starts from a picture in which individuals with money to spare choose between different options in order to 'maximize their utility'--to do what gives them the greatest satisfaction according to a narrow definition of what that means. This is the same picture that one finds in many economics textbooks, except that in most economic models, utility only encompasses self-interest. By contrast, in effective altruism it includes the wellbeing of other people, animals, and the environment.
LISA HERZOG
"Can 'effective altruism' really change the world?", Open Democracy, February 22, 2016
The science on service and altruism is becoming more and more clear.... When you belong to a community, you are healthier and happier and more motivated.
DENISE POPE
"How college admissions are distorting the character of high school students", Deseret News, February 25, 2016
The boundaries of altruism are not even limited to an infinite sum of currency.
JACKIE A. STRANGE
attributed, Words of Wisdom
The Darwinian benefit of altruism is missed in many analyses of human evolution because of the social and ideological emphasis placed on competition.
MARCUS YOUSSEF
"Vancouver play comes home after 'winning' world tour", CBC, February 18, 2016
If a man accepts the ethics of altruism, his first concern is not how to live his life, but how to sacrifice it.
AYN RAND
The Virtue of Selfishness