Is there such thing as a "selfless good deed"?

Question

Is there really such thing as a "selfless good deed"? Because every good thing you do, it must make yourself feel good in some way. And because it makes you feel good, it is not completely selfless (since you benefit from it also). But I doubt that there is no such thing as a selfless good deed. There must be something that people do completely for someone else's benefit and at the cost of their own sacrifice. What do you think?

Answer 1

I don't know.  

That's a hard question.

You're right, even when we do something amazing for someone else, most of the time we receive part of the benefit.

Hmm.

Answer 2

how can you have pure good selfless good deeds in a place based survival of the fittest.

Answer 3

If you consider the good feeling to be selfish, then you don't even understand your own question.

Answer 4

yes its doing something from the heart even tho you dont want to and it wont benifit you at all do somting you dont want to do and so on

Answer 5

What about people who have given their lives to save others? I don't think they feel good.

Answer 6

No.

All people are motivated by something.

If a man is walking down the street and he sees a little girl about to be run over he doesn't push her out of the way and risk his life because it's "selfless", he does it because in his mind it is the right thing to do.

Some acts are way more selfish than others but everyone acts according to what they see as right and wrong and how things effect them. Mostly, because things effect them. Not to say that the less selfish ones shouldn't  be rewarded, just that technically, selflessness does not exist.

Answer 7

Many people do things for others without expecting anything in return.  They get something in return anyway, you are right.  They end up feeling good about what they have done.  Also, I think that God blesses us when we serve others.  Remember in the bible the story of the Widow who gave all the money she had?  The Savior told the listening crowd that she had given more than any of the others that had cast in money.  Why?  Because she had given all that she had.  I'm sure in God's fairness, that he will reward everyone for the good deeds they do.  Even if they don't expect it.

Answer 8

How about  a person who knowingly sacrifices his /her life to save the lives of others? I do not see anythig selfish about that.

Answer 9

There are almost certainly those who like to 'do good' simply by instinct or out of obligation, but they probably don't bother or have time to question their motives. We are all different.

Answer 10

Absolutely not.  What happens is that people mistake certain actions/intentions/consequences as good and selfless.

By nature, we are extremely selfish people:  we only evolved by caring for our personal needs, nothing else.  We must eat; we must sleep; the race-in general-must reproduce.  That's it.  Everything else exists in the mind, and it is very possible that *everything* altogether is solely in the mind.  Everything is perception, and it is selective, giving rise to the worst of evils.  Including (most importantly) the delusion that people refer to as god.

Answer 11

1

Answer 12

You have a very good point:  doing good deeds makes you feel good, therefore you do gain something from it and it is not entirely selfless.  

But if you think about it, all actions are driven a motive, or else there would be no reason to act.  Unless the person is masochistic or mentally ill, the motive will always involve some direct or indirect benefit to the person.  Even masochistic actions (i.e. self-cutting) are viewed by the individual to provide some sort of desirable result (in this example, replacing emotional pain with physical pain).  So.. all actions, whether they are benevolent or malicious, are driven by a foreseen benefit to the person.

Answer 13

Sure there is its the good thing you do for someone without thinking about it. It is just done before you know it.

Answer 14

I think so. I was in love with someone. Broke up with him because it was the very best thing for him. I hurt for a long time. Sometimes I still feel pain and it's been over three years now. But I also feel good, because I know in the end he will be much happier and have a better life. At least that is my hope. Of course it's up to him. But staying together was hurting him, so I let him go.

Answer 15

No, there is actually no such thing as true altruism.  I took an ethics class where we discussed this issue in depth and the professor who had a PhD. confirmed this.  One extreme example was a soldier jumping on a live grenade to save his buddies.  Even then it could be said that the hero wanted to save himself from a lifetime of guilt or die knowing that he or she was a true hero.  I've tried for years to come up with a scenario where true altruism exists, but have so far fallen short from this philosophical endeavor.

Answer 16

Yes. Stoicism is about this. Buddhism is about this. There are a few other philosophies that are about this. You might think it is impossible or at least very difficult because of the popularity of consequentialist theories.  

Answer 17

If you take the concept of Justice seriously and you act so that you are doing what is good for you and good for your neighbor, I believe you have left hedonism far behind.  If you take it as far as Socrates took it, you will do whatever it is within yourself that is benefited by Justice.  Justice is to the soul as health is to the body and he went to his death for that principle.  Read the Crito and understand that there is more to life than pleasure and pain.

Answer 18

These types of deeds are usually only demonstrated in times of an emergency.

Say a man enters a burning building to save an unkown child.

It is difficult to demostrate that the motives for doing such an act are in anyway selfish.

It seems that those that are questioned about their motives afterwards usually state they simply reacted without thought.

Answer 19

Yes.  Any good deed that you can do that helps others no matter how small is a selfless act of kindness.

Answer 20

Well say you have to help your friend move, but you're going to miss the super bowl that went into overtime. He begs you and you go do it. You benefit him, but how does that benefit you? You missed the super bowl, you're not going to be happy.

Answer 21

I think, while you do have a point, we don't always do good things to make ourselves feel good. Some do, but others do it because it is their passion, and if they feel any side effect of joy of having helped others, it could just be inadvertently, you know? But that's just what I think.  

Answer 22

hmm.. interesting. I could agree with what you said.

because when I hear "selfless good deed", I try to picture the best hero I've known. He was someone who fought for his people and for his OWN honor.. He didn't fight in order to be appreciated by others, nor did he fight for his name. He was the real hero who was forgotten by history. (Feel free to ask me his name if interested. I loved that story.)

so taking from that, I could agree with you......

but still, I can't totally.. I just felt we can't end it all up like that.