How does human good really exist when everything we do is a selfish act?

Question

We have friends to make ourselves happier.

Love people to make ourselves happier.

Help people to make ourselves happier.

Do good things or bad things to make us happy.

Sure we also do it all to help other people but they also help ourseves and there's no way around it so they are all selfish acts.

Answer 1

So you are saying the most selfish act is to help others?  I don't have a problem with that.  I like the good feeling I get.  

But you need to keep in mind that "good" is relative.  What we are doing not only rewards us and the person receiving the help, but also ensures the survival of the species.  

Yeah, let's do it!

Answer 2

I've done some things to help people that did NOT make me happy ... so I think your just being ultra depressing, but not accurate.

Answer 3

I Totally understand your reasoning in this Question,

But surely sefishness is something one does for themselve's.

Not for the goodness of others.

For example,I like thousands of others have got where I am Today,Through going to h**l and back. Yet First and foremost,others feelings,needs and wants have been placed before my own.

This is not selfish,this is caring humanity.

Answer 4

People were created for God's enjoyment. Think about a pet. You have that pet for simple enjoyment. All God wants to do is pet you, if you will allow him. Don't be so depressed. Life is good.

Answer 5

That's a very good question.  The ideas you express are reflected in a school of philosophical thought (that I tend to agree with) called "psychological egoism."  There are entire books written on the subject, but generally, it holds that ALL human actions, even seemingly altruistic actions like stepping in front of a car to save a child (for example), are ultimately motivated (even if subconsciously) by self-interest or a perceived self-interest.

Answer 6

You're making us all sound so subservient.  You do good things because they're the right thing to do.  If the outcome makes you happy as a result, then what's wrong with that?  I don't believe it's our intention to do good things just for the end result.

Answer 7

Guess it depends on the intention of the individual. The logical you've used is sound but it also has the answer to your question. Human good exist when we willing and knowingly extend the benefits of our actions/behaviors to others when we always have the option to benefit only ourselves.

Answer 8

if doing something makes you unhappy, then would you consider that act a non-selfish act? My point is that happiness and selfishness are not related: one does not result from the other.

Answer 9

Sure, it's all a selfish act, but ...

Friendship and love are both mutual feelings.

We have our friends/lovers for ourselves to be happy, but we make them happy as well.

I'm not sure about helping people to make ourselves happy.

I've done a lot of things for people I didn't want to do for their sake.

lol.

But, is that really something to be sad, or confused about?

I'm actually greatful...

since I am a selfish being...

That there are people in my life who would do things for me and want me to return the favor.

So, I guess human good doesn't exist, but we try.

I mean... an example is this:

I didn't answer this question for myself.

I feel no reward, nor do I want a reward for it.

It's just to hopefully give you a new perspective of the way things are/could be, or to possibly make you feel better about the situation.

I hope my answer did.

:)

Answer 10

The intent is the key. Not all people will do things for themselves. It makes us happy to make other happy, yes, but its because it will please the other person more.

Human good exists in the fact that even though as you say we are doing it for ourselves, the intent to make good exists because it benefits others as well. If its symbiotic. Otherwise, its purely selfish.

Give a specific example, and I'll turn it around, so you can see the existence of "human good".

Answer 11

We have a dual nature while a creature of time we have the potential of eternalness by over coming our fixation of self and recognizing the potential of greater selves. It's called faith.

Answer 12

I would call that a paradox.

The selfish act is only in your Unconscious mind. That you feel happy if you help each others doesnt mean you do it only because it makes YOU happy.

You can also be happy anyways and then help others. There are even selfless deeds which help others and can harm you, f.e. help others to flee from danger despite being left behind. If you are able to do such things i think you've defeated your selfishness.

Answer 13

no. ithink that its good to help others and in turn help ourselves.

human nature in my experience dictates that we seek companions and friends from basic instinct.

everyone craves and needs people around them at some stage in theyre daily lives.

if something makes you feel good that benifits others and ourselves then we should do it.

Answer 14

Good Question.

Just a comment but what about when a fireman dies saving a little girl, or when someone dies trying to save someone else.  Not even thinking about what recognition it might bring them just thinking about getting that other person to safety.  

Answer 15

Psychological egoism isn't really valid (not to mention the fact that it's barbaric).  The act of helping others causes the happiness, not the other way around.

Answer 16

Some people actually do do those things just to make themselves happy.  But there are people on this planet, believe it or not, that do things to make other people happy.  I have suffered through many things that I didn't like for the sake of someone else's happiness, and I would do it again.  Some people do things to be nice, not everyone in the world is selfish.  It's called sacrafice.

Answer 17

It doesn't.

Answer 18

Yes, but everyone's mostly happy in the end, aren't they? so, what's the problem?

Answer 19

I think it is thoughtless to call selfish acts as inhumane. In most selfish acts, the actions are selfish because it is a survival adaptation of genomes. When you help, you are taking a step as a survival adaptation, to make it as a species and as a genome. Your selfish aid is aid to your genome, although it is a genome which is not yours, but is yours in a sense as it is a replication which is a complete copy of your genome, with a little variation. So when you help someone, you are offering to improve your survival as a species.

You are rewarded by happiness. As in a sexual intercourse, you are rewarded with pleasure, in an adaptation for procreation.