Selflessness...
The subject of selflessness came up yesterday. Question: Is it ever possible for humans to be truly selfless? Other than what can be found in the lower animal world via instinct, regarding humans, I think the answer must be “no.” Humans cannot be selfless. Let me try to make my case. Let’s start simple. You hand $5 bucks out the window to someone on the corner asking for some help? In helping that person, was that truly a selfless gesture, or did it make you feel better about yourself; that you did what you could to help? Let’s up the stakes and complicate it more. You do what you can to raise your children, providing for their basic needs and even wants. You hope to, indeed do, turn out a crop of upstanding citizens, who themselves go on to produce the next crop of upstanding citizens. You, as a proud parent, now feel personally successful in that parenting task. I.e., you feel good about ...