Is caring for others a selfless act?

Question

Do you think a majority of people help others out of duty or to make themselves feel good?

There is also this question I have that you can answer if you want to

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiX4nhSbc10tdKP5eR9bW.Hsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080825175137AAJVW86

Answer 1

I always think bout this!!!!!!!!!!!

I was gonna ask it on YA!!

Like if you think about it, you can't do anything good without it making you feel good inside, so you're ALWAYS getting something out of it for yourself. SO IT CAN NEVER BE SELFLESS!!!!

Answer 2

i think if you are helping someone and its not your job, nor does it make you feel good or you have nothing what so ever to gain from it then it's self less.  

Answer 3

Either out of duty or to make themselves feel good are the same.  What happens if we think we haven't done our duty?  We feel bad, right?  So everything is about our feelings.  But in the Christian view, real love is different.  Love transcends feelings.  Love between God and man is in the realm of the supernatural.  Love is the gift of God.

Answer 4

Everything in life is or the self.  If, say, you sacrificed yourself for another.  There is selfishness in that.  You saved them because it is what YOU wanted.  If anything selflessness does not exist.  I would like to believe that it does, but In life as a natural occurrence, you only do things for yourself.

Sounds bad?  Not meant to be.  It is meant to be a bit deep, and a bit factual.

Answer 5

Depends upon who is doing the caring and their internal psychological composition - My partner and I both have mental health symptoms and care for each other we don't count the cost just put all our symptoms in a pot and own them all and prop each other and ourselves up. There is a lot of love in the mix and honesty. We process ourselves daily.

professional carers in hospital and out in the community have to be so much more boundaries or they burn out so whilst some are real carers the others are more like gym teachers hale and hearty and treating you like kids.

So yes a big part of it is the status of being in a caring job. Some of it is duty.

I guess there really does have to be something in it for anyone to want to do it and if it is an unequal relationship and just giving out it can get soul - destroying.

I used to get hot and bothered about 'carers' until I understood that empathy is not a common skill and that people l burn out really easily for using up more than they can internally afford to give.

So given the state of humanity at the moment it probably really is heroic to be a carer however they get through the job.    

Answer 6

"There is no such thing as an altruistic act."

That would be a more famous saying if more people knew what "altruistic" meant.

But I'm not sure if that's completely true. I've cared for people in need and felt horrible that I couldn't do more to help them. There are some people who say "honey, have you heard? Starving children in Indonesia."

"Should we send them a dollar?"

"Mmm... Well, it's the thought that counts."

"Ooh, make love to me, big papa!"

And go on with their daily lives.

Then again, do we WANT caring for others to be selfless? I don't want to live in a world where no one feels good about wanting to help people out.

Answer 7

caring, for once, is not a selfless act.

yet, a lot of people have their own reasons why they care for others. someone might care for you because he/she has a hidden agenda. it really depends upon the person's purpose why he/she chose to care.  

Answer 8

A bit of both.  I feel I've done a lot of c**p in my life that I need to make up for by helping others.  In that respect, I guess it is mostly selfish as I am doing these things to ease the burden of the bad stuff I've done.  If that makes sense.

Answer 9

The intent behind the act is the deciding factor. Why are they helping the person? There are people who help other's only to get ahead themselves. Then, there are other people who really do want to see other's acheive in life. So, it all boils down to the intent.