Altruism

Altruism is the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for happiness of other human beings or other animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual.

Everyday, parked beside my truck sits an abandoned car. It had been sitting there for months untouched with a thick blanket of dust evenly misted across every inch of it. This morning, the car now sat with banana peels, barbecue sauce, eggs and other vile garbage thrown across it. For a second I thought, “that’s what you get for abandoning your car.” It’s not in my self-interest to clean this car, nor does it satisfy any ego to do something good. I was disappointed by the sheer lack of respect someone had shown for another person’s property.

We’re not alone in the world, this is obvious. Self-interest is not exclusively reserved to an individual’s well-being. Self-interest is not exclusively reserved to an individual’s well-being. What is my self-interest in the next second, day, or the next year? My ‘now me’ wants this for the ‘then me.’

I stayed behind for a half hour or so and cleaned the car from nose to tail, glass and paint covered in a goop that would have destroyed the paint and damaged the glass. If we let something like this exist amongst us, it gives permission for others to do the same and the same people to do it again. My interest in my self is to have a respectful society that is safe and enjoyable.

Your well-being is equal to that of others. You want to act out what's good for 'you' now for what's good for 'you' then.

-Busy Brain