Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Un-selfish good deed: Do they exist?


Ok! This topic has been running in my mind for quite some time, Is there a Un-selfish good deed? In “Friends” one episode Phobe tried to prove to Joey that there is a unselfish good deed. The question again came up in a talk with a girl that love should be like the sun; always giving out warmth and energy getting nothing back in return.


So the question of this blog  is, “Is there a Un-selfish good deed?”. Starting out scientifically 

Theory of Evolution states that some behaviours are encoded into our DNA, Animals feel discomfort when they're hungry, signalling it’s time to eat. A plant might shed its leaves in winter to create a protective barrier for the winter. Both plants and animals survive by looking out for themselves. By this logic, an Un-selfish good deed shouldn’t even exist.

Basically what I mean to say is that helping others at a cost to us goes against the order of natural selection. Why improve the life  of another living being at cost of something to us? After all natural resources are limited, so the lesser competition the better chances I have of surviving, Right? 

Let’s take the most quoted example of an un-selfish good deed i.e of a mother caring for her child, but isn’t that just a motherly instinct; something I feel a extension of the genetic code that forces us to procreate so that the species as a whole can survive. Some or may be majority of mothers may be of the thought process  that the child will grow up and take care of her in her old-age.

Or yet another example of giving "Alms" (something I absolutely disagree, better to teach a man to fish than give him fish for a day), The money I could have used on myself I am using to help someone else in need. So amn't I doing an un-selfish good deed heret? No, I say. You are giving alms to feel good about yourself and might be sometimes even with religious reasons thinking "I will sacrifice now and  give alms now and my sins will be forgiven securing my future in heaven". Which again makes it a selfish deed?

So does un-selfish good deed exist? My explanation : Before doing any deed we think, we might be aware of some thought process; but before other deeds our thought process may be completely sub-conscious. But there is always a mental calculation which sees some or the other positive return for any action of ours before we take it. 

I don’t feel there is any human interaction which is an one way exchange. There will always be some or other expectations of a return favor.

I feel every human is Selfish in his/her own way. But even if we are rewarded/ or expect to be rewarded one way or another by performing an so called unselfish act, it still remains up to the individual whether or not to perform one. 

The main question to answer is "If by helping someone we feel good, does that make that action any less worthwhile?"

2 comments:

dipankar said...

Doesn't matter, its like karma right, if the reward makes u happy, fine, what the hell, stay selfish, yet keep helping, if u luk thru the bigger lens, it still is a good deed !!

Korapay Blog said...

Great readingg

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