All for ourselves?

[Furor]

I was getting off the interstate last week and saw a bum with a cardboard sign that read "Need money, Need Food... God Bless". Now I'm pretty stingy and I never give money to those guys, but the car in front of me did. It bothered me alot and I began wondering why those people gave him money.

If you hit someone, they hurt. If you compliment someone, they feel better. But what becomes of the person performing that action? The guy who hit someone will either feel bad or good about hitting them. The person giving the compliment feels good about making someone else feel good about themselves. For every action there is a reaction.

This brings up the question of: Can we really live selflessly like the Bible teaches, or any other religion for that matter?

If you give everything you have at the command of a higher power, then you have not given much at all. In fact, you have gained something. Favor, love, brownie points, whatever your god gives you for following his command, you still gain. How then can you live selflessly? We only give because we want something. We want to feel good about ourselves, we want to feel good about following god's command, we want we want. It is never selfless, just selfish.

 

[LordAten]

exactly what i've been thinking lately.

we wouldn't do good deeds if all we got was suffering from it.

 

[joebudda]

I think it comes down to how that deed makes you feel. Are you doing it to make yourself feel good or because you would like others to perceive you as a good person?

I gave up a while ago on caring what other people think. What does it solve or accomplish? Because they have a problem, is that their problem or should it be yours as well?

My motto for my happiness is; a happy life is about what you love, not what loves you.

If giving someone a sandwich or some money makes me feel good I am going to do it. Even if it is a scam that I don’t know about, I feel I have done some good, which makes me feel good.

It is the moments that make up the memories, so make the most of every moment.

 

[Philosoft]

Some of the early existentialist writers picked up on this theme. I know it pervades the work of Albert Camus, for one.

 

[LordAten]

Quote:"If giving someone a sandwich or some money makes me feel good I am going to do it. Even if it is a scam that I don’t know about, I feel I have done some good, which makes me feel good."

which is a selfish act, you're only in it for yourself to make you feel Good.

 

[joebudda]

Quote:"If giving someone a sandwich or some money makes me feel good I am going to do it. Even if it is a scam that I don’t know about, I feel I have done some good, which makes me feel good."

which is a selfish act, you're only in it for yourself to make you feel Good.

yes

 

[The Midge]

which is a selfish act, you're only in it for yourself to make you feel Good.

In that case I would rather give something (more usually to a homeless charity in this instance) and be wrong for wanting to feel good about it than be wrong for having no compassion.