Are all human beings inherently selfish for the sake of survival?

Question

Are all human beings inherently selfish for the sake of survival?

Answer 1

No.

Actually there is a strong ultraistic component to human behaviour which is believed to be able to perpetuate one's offspring into a future generation.

Answer 2

It depends how you define selfish. In some hunting and gathering societies egalitarianism provided the greatest net utillity for each member of the group. In today's global market economy, utility gains are ussually greatest when they offsett another's gain in utillity. Hence, human motives are always self intersted, but the pursuit of self interest does not always come at the deprivation of others.

Answer 3

To be selfish is in our natuer but we must control it .From the first of creation this feature was in human.If we like ourselves more than  the others " will be the root of many problems in the society. we should not think just about our interests. A friend in deed is a friend in need.

Answer 4

i dont think so. there are some unselfish people. they are usually kind of offbeat. life is hard for them. but somehow they get on.

Answer 5

I think so. My dad used to comment on babies being selfish and you know what? They are. It is instinct. They want to be changed NOW... they need to be fed NOW. It is just human nature.

Answer 6

it may not be true that all humans are inherently selfish. but survival does favor selfishness. if a person or a groups selfishness drives them to kill off other groups or at least make it difficult to live by hoarding resources than they limit the survival of the less selfish and perpetuate the suvival of their own selfish traits and culture.

Answer 7

Yeah, I suppose it's part of the conservation instinct.However, education takes a huge part in one's personality, so if these traits are inherited, they could probably be put in a latent state by education and ethic barriers.

Answer 8

Do some research. Check out google scholar its the most reliable free info source. I use it as supplement and also if you are committed e-mail me and I'll get some articles on the subject for you. Other wise type it in at google scholar.

There's a lot of work on the subject.  Of course there is no clear answer and anthropologists are taking sides.  Look at the research and studies on your own and make your own decision.

Answer 9

Selfish genes may code for a selfless organism.

Answer 10

That doesn't make sense. Survival does not necessarily favor selfishness.

Evolutionary psychology favors the behaviors that facilitate the following:

1. survival of the self

2. survival of one's family line

3. survival of one's community

Only the first of those favors 'selfishness' by the classical definition.

However, the other drives might be described as 'the selfishness of the

family', and 'the selfishness of the community'.

Answer 11

I would not say that all human being are inherently selfish.  I would say that most human beings with children are inherently selfish and will fight tooth and nail, and even take from another child ,if it will give their own offspring a slight advantage at survival.   Of course the success of the offspring is important as it assures the parents comfort and care in old age.  

In the animal kingdom, I have observed kindness and consideration for the young  and the infirm regardless of whether they're related.

Answer 12

I think in some ways, yes.  Even when people are behaving self-lessly, in many ways it traces back to wanting to improve their own lives in some way.  For example, when a mother selflessly cares for a baby, that baby later carries her genes into the future, which benefits the basic desire of the mother to pass on a part of herself.  

Even when people perform acts of charity, I think a small part of that is selfish - the desire to be noticed, but even more so, the desire to shape the community or world into something that the person likes better.  

So, I think that there are many reasons for doing things, and some are more selfish than others, but basically it's just shades of gray.  Don't let that stop you from trying to do a good thing, though!  LOL

Answer 13

not only humans.. all living beings are selfish when it comes to survival!

Answer 14

Yes , but survival has become a perverse thing , now peole get a panic on if they havent  got the latest gadget , more clothes than they ever could need , Unfotunately it has screweed up realtionships everthing has a commercial value on  it and it is s womans atrractivness and a mans bank account that h

Answer 15

its born into us,,,actually its born into every living animal, insect, reptile on this earth.

if the plants could talk, probably them too.