Pathological Altruism

[DBT]

Pathological addiction to corporate profits, marketing often unnecessary products and the promotion of rampant consumerism should be the title of the thread....

 

[arkirk]

Pathological addiction to corporate profits, marketing often unnecessary products and the promotion of rampant consumerism should be the title of the thread....

I agree with you. The thread title implies that there is a sickness called pathological altruism. Anyone on any side of any issue can just claim the other side is engaging in pathological altruism. Loren has enjoyed this and changed the subject to my or some others' psyches every time we begin to discuss anything concrete. I have the feeling we are wearing our keyboards out for nothing a lot of the time. This is page 39 and nothing is settled.

 

[Togo]

We have settled, in conversation with various, that proponents of 'pathological altruism' have no reason to regard altruism as any more pathological than other form of human behaviour. Thus the central tenet of the thread, that there is something called pathological altruism that we need to be wary of, has no evidence behind it.

 

[Sabine Grant]

We have settled, in conversation with various, that proponents of 'pathological altruism' have no reason to regard altruism as any more pathological than other form of human behaviour. Thus the central tenet of the thread, that there is something called pathological altruism that we need to be wary of, has no evidence behind it.

I need to add that the term altruism has been misused in this thread. Altruism implies selfless. An individual kept warm by the use of his coat who, while observing a homeless person shivering on a bench on a cold night, will deprive himself from his state of well being by giving his coat to the homeless man, that is altruism. Basically an action where someone places the best interest, welfare and well being of another person above their own.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

We have settled, in conversation with various, that proponents of 'pathological altruism' have no reason to regard altruism as any more pathological than other form of human behaviour. Thus the central tenet of the thread, that there is something called pathological altruism that we need to be wary of, has no evidence behind it.

I need to add that the term altruism has been misused in this thread. Altruism implies selfless. An individual kept warm by the use of his coat who, while observing a homeless person shivering on a bench on a cold night, will deprive himself from his state of well being by giving his coat to the homeless man, that is altruism. Basically an action where someone places the best interest, welfare and well being of another person above their own.

But the reality is that people do such things because it makes them feel good.

 

[Togo]

I need to add that the term altruism has been misused in this thread. Altruism implies selfless. An individual kept warm by the use of his coat who, while observing a homeless person shivering on a bench on a cold night, will deprive himself from his state of well being by giving his coat to the homeless man, that is altruism. Basically an action where someone places the best interest, welfare and well being of another person above their own.

But the reality is that people do such things because it makes them feel good.

You might think so, but it's just baseless speculation on your part. You might as well just say that the only reason you think that altrusitic people do it because it feels good, is becuase believing that about people nicer than yourself makes you look and feel good.

 

[arkirk]

But the reality is that people do such things because it makes them feel good.

You might think so, but it's just baseless speculation on your part. You might as well just say that the only reason you think that altrusitic people do it because it feels good, is becuase believing that about people nicer than yourself makes you look and feel good.

Anyway, what is so BAD about feeling good about doing something good? There is no cosmic rule that one must feel BAD in order to perform an action on the basis of altruistic intentions.

 

[Sabine Grant]

I need to add that the term altruism has been misused in this thread. Altruism implies selfless. An individual kept warm by the use of his coat who, while observing a homeless person shivering on a bench on a cold night, will deprive himself from his state of well being by giving his coat to the homeless man, that is altruism. Basically an action where someone places the best interest, welfare and well being of another person above their own.

But the reality is that people do such things because it makes them feel good.

How does this man feeling good about giving his coat to a shivering human being on a cold night invalidate the reality that he placed the well being, welfare and best interest of that homeless person above his own?

Did you not comprehend this concept ?

Basically an action where someone places the best interest, welfare and well being of another person above their own

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You might think so, but it's just baseless speculation on your part. You might as well just say that the only reason you think that altrusitic people do it because it feels good, is becuase believing that about people nicer than yourself makes you look and feel good.

Anyway, what is so BAD about feeling good about doing something good? There is no cosmic rule that one must feel BAD in order to perform an action on the basis of altruistic intentions.

Exactly! Further, feeling good about it does not invalidate the reality of a choice of action resulting in placing another person's well being, welfare and best interest above our own.