People say altruism is selfish. They’re not wrong | Abigail Marsh

Summary

This script explores the concept of altruism, challenging the notion that true selflessness doesn't exist because helping others brings personal joy. It discusses the 'Doctrine of Double Effect,' suggesting that the morality of an act is influenced by its intended outcome. Highlighting Matthieu Ricard's view, it asserts that finding joy in helping others is the essence of altruism, contrary to it being begrudging or selfish. The script also touches on how altruism can enhance mental well-being and the societal benefits of a community where helping others is a source of joy.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The concept of 'true altruism' is debated because people often experience joy from helping others, which some argue contradicts the idea of selflessness.
• 💓 Altruistic acts, such as donating a kidney to a stranger, can bring immense personal satisfaction and joy, suggesting that the helper also benefits.
• 📺 A 'Friends' episode humorously explores the idea that good deeds motivated by personal pleasure might be considered selfish.
• 🧐 There's a philosophical debate suggesting that for an act to be moral, it shouldn't also bring joy, reflecting a puritanical view on morality and pleasure.
• 🌟 The joy derived from altruism doesn't negate its moral value; instead, it's a sign of our social nature and the human capacity for empathy.
• 🔄 The 'Doctrine of Double Effect' in philosophy supports the idea that the morality of an act is judged by its intended outcome, not just its consequences.
• 🧘 Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk and neuroscientist, argues in his book 'Altruism' that finding joy in helping others is the essence of altruism.
• 🙅‍♂️ Grudging or reluctant giving is not considered altruistic, as it lacks the voluntary and joyful intent that defines true altruism.
• 🤝 When people help others voluntarily, it fosters a sense of gratitude and joy, strengthening social bonds and community.
• 🌐 Altruism is a fundamental aspect of being a social species, and the joy it brings is a key motivator for societal cohesion and support.

Q & A

What is the main argument against the existence of true altruism?

The main argument against true altruism is that people are never truly motivated to help others for their own sake because altruism paradoxically brings joy to the helper.

How do people who donate kidneys to strangers feel about their decision?

People who donate kidneys to strangers report that it's one of the best things they've done in their life and would do it again if they could, feeling glad every day that they made that choice.

What is the 'Doctrine of Double Effect' as mentioned in the script?

The 'Doctrine of Double Effect' is a philosophical concept that suggests the morality of an action is judged not only by its outcome but also by the intended outcome. It implies that if helping others is done with the intention of achieving happiness, it's not altruistic, but if happiness is a foreseeable outcome of the help provided, it doesn't negate the altruistic intent.

How does Matthieu Ricard define altruism in his book 'Altruism'?

Matthieu Ricard defines altruism as finding joy in helping others, stating that if helping others did not bring us joy, we wouldn't be altruistic.

What is the counterexample given for genuine altruism in the script?

The counterexample given is the person who gives begrudgingly, finding it a source of unhappiness and wishing they hadn't done it, which is contrasted with genuine altruism.

Why is it important for people to feel joy when helping others, according to the script?

Feeling joy when helping others is important because it indicates that we are a fundamentally social species, that joy is contagious, and that we are built to want to help those around us, which forms the basis of a good society.

What role does mental well-being play in one's ability to engage with and help others, as discussed in the script?

Mental well-being is crucial for overall well-being and can enable a person to become more involved with their community and help others. Conversely, being in a mental rut can make it difficult to engage with or help others.

What are some of the issues with traditional therapy that BetterHelp aims to address, as mentioned in the script?

BetterHelp aims to address issues such as finding the right therapist, fitting into their schedule, getting to their office, and the cost of therapy by offering a convenient, schedule-flexible, and affordable online therapy service.

How does the script suggest that helping others can enrich one's mental well-being?

The script suggests that helping others can be joyful and enjoyable, which has been shown to enrich mental well-being, thus creating a positive cycle of social engagement and personal satisfaction.

What is the significance of the 'Friends' episode mentioned in the script regarding altruism?

The 'Friends' episode is used to illustrate the debate over whether actions can be truly altruistic if they bring personal joy, highlighting the paradox that doing good can also be a source of happiness.

How does the script connect the joy of helping others to the concept of a good society?

The script connects the joy of helping others to the concept of a good society by suggesting that a society where people take joy in helping others is a desirable one, as it fosters social cohesion and mutual support.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Joy of Altruism

The paragraph explores the concept of altruism and the debate around whether it can be truly selfless. It challenges the idea that because helping others brings joy, it must be selfish. The text references a 'Friends' episode and a Buddhist monk-neuroscientist Matthieu Ricard's book 'Altruism,' suggesting that the pleasure derived from altruistic acts does not negate their moral value. Instead, the joy of helping others is a natural part of being altruistic and is a key motivator for humans to engage in such behaviors. The Doctrine of Double Effect is mentioned to explain that the morality of an action is influenced by both its intended and foreseeable outcomes. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the social nature of humans and the importance of joy in altruism for building a good society.

05:02

💼 BetterHelp: Mental Well-being and Community Engagement

This paragraph promotes BetterHelp, an online therapy platform designed to make mental health support more accessible. It acknowledges the challenges people face in seeking therapy, such as finding the right therapist, scheduling, commuting, and cost. BetterHelp offers a solution by matching users with licensed therapists through a questionnaire, allowing for flexible communication methods like phone, video chat, or messaging. The service is highlighted as being convenient, affordable, and customizable, with the option to change therapists without additional cost. The paragraph also encourages viewers to become Big Think members for additional benefits, and provides a discount code for BetterHelp.

Keywords

💡Altruism

Altruism refers to the selfless concern for the well-being of others. In the video, it is discussed as a behavior that is paradoxically a source of joy for the helper. The script challenges the notion that true altruism doesn't exist because helping others brings personal pleasure, suggesting that the joy derived from helping is not contradictory to altruism but rather an integral part of it.

💡Pleasure

Pleasure is defined as a feeling of happy satisfaction or enjoyment. The video script uses the term to argue that the pleasure experienced by individuals who help others does not negate the altruistic nature of their actions. Instead, it suggests that pleasure can be a natural outcome and even a motivator for altruistic behavior.

💡Selfish

Selfish is used in the context of being concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself. The script discusses how some might view altruistic acts as selfish if they bring personal satisfaction to the doer, but it counters this by suggesting that the joy from helping does not make the act any less altruistic.

💡Joy

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. In the video, joy is presented as a positive emotional response to altruistic acts, indicating that the act of helping others can be inherently rewarding. This joy is seen as a natural part of altruism, not a contradiction to it.

💡Morality

Morality pertains to the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. The video discusses morality in relation to altruism, suggesting that an act's morality is not solely based on its outcome but also on the intentions behind it, such as the intention to help others.

💡Doctrine of Double Effect

The Doctrine of Double Effect is a principle in ethics that evaluates the morality of an action based on its intended and foreseeable outcomes. The video uses this concept to argue that if the primary intention of an act is to help others, the pleasure derived from it does not diminish the act's moral value.

💡Vicarious Joy

Vicarious Joy refers to the happiness one feels on behalf of another. The script mentions that individuals who have engaged in altruistic acts experience vicarious joy when they see the positive effects of their actions on others, which can reinforce their altruistic tendencies.

💡Social Species

The term 'social species' is used to describe humans as beings who thrive in social environments and have a natural inclination towards social interaction and cooperation. The video suggests that our social nature is a fundamental aspect of our altruistic tendencies.

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The video implies that when individuals receive help voluntarily and with sincerity, they are more likely to feel gratitude, which is a positive emotion that can lead to a sense of joy.

💡Mental Well-being

Mental well-being refers to a state of psychological health where an individual is able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and is generally happy. The video script connects mental well-being with the ability to engage in altruistic behaviors, suggesting that taking care of one's mental health can enhance one's capacity to help others.

💡BetterHelp

BetterHelp is an online platform for accessing therapeutic services, mentioned in the video as a sponsor. It is described as a convenient and affordable way to improve mental well-being, which indirectly supports the video's theme by suggesting that better mental health can lead to more altruistic behavior.

Highlights

Altruism is often questioned because it brings joy to the giver, which some argue contradicts the selflessness it requires.

People who donate kidneys to strangers report it as one of the best things they've done, indicating a deep satisfaction from altruistic acts.

The 'Friends' TV show episode illustrates the debate on whether an act is altruistic if it brings personal pleasure.

The idea that moral acts cannot also be joyful reflects a puritanical streak and is challenged in the transcript.

Altruistic acts are more likely to be repeated if they bring joy, suggesting a positive feedback loop in human behavior.

The Doctrine of Double Effect in philosophy suggests that the morality of an act is judged by its intended outcome, not just its consequences.

Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk and neuroscientist, argues that finding joy in helping others is the essence of altruism.

The counterexample of begrudging givers highlights the importance of voluntary and joyful giving in altruism.

Altruism's ability to bring joy is evidence of our social nature and the fundamental desire to help others.

Helping others not only brings joy but also enriches mental well-being, suggesting a positive impact on both giver and receiver.

Mental health is crucial for overall well-being and can influence one's ability to engage in altruistic behaviors.

BetterHelp is introduced as a solution to make therapy more accessible, addressing common barriers like cost and convenience.

The service allows for online therapy, which can be a game-changer for those struggling to find traditional therapy options.

BetterHelp offers a questionnaire to match users with a licensed therapist, ensuring a personalized approach to mental health.

Users can change therapists at any point with no additional cost, providing flexibility in the therapeutic journey.

A discount is offered for Big Think members, encouraging engagement with the community and its resources.

Transcripts

- One of the reasons that many people argue,

there's no such thing as true altruism-

people are never truly motivated

to help other people for their own sake-

is because, paradoxically,

altruism is a source of enormous joy

for people who help others.

People who have donated kidneys to strangers

will reliably tell you

it's one of the best things they've done in their life,

they would do it again in a heartbeat if they could,

they're glad every day that they did it.

And so, it's easy to look at something like that

and say, "Aha! Well, then it wasn't really altruistic

because if it brought you such pleasure,

well then it must have been selfish."

I think there was actually a "Friends" episode

about this exact question.

- 'This isn't a good deed.

You just wanna get on TV,

this is totally selfish.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

What about you having those babies for your brother?

Talk about selfish.

- What, what are you talking about?

- Well, yeah, it was a really nice thing and all,

but it made you feel really good, right?

- Yeah, so? - Well, it made you feel good,

so that makes it selfish.

Look, there's no unselfish good deed, sorry.'

- I think there's a little bit

of a puritanical streak in the idea

that for something to be moral,

it can't also be joyful.

There may be people who are suspicious

about any behavior that brings us too much pleasure,

that somehow it can't at heart be simultaneously

a source of pleasure and morality.

But I don't tend to think that that's true.

I would say,

because this makes people more likely-

once they've done something altruistic,

they see what a positive effect it has on other people,

they experience the vicarious joy of helping other people-

they're much more likely to do it again.

It's one of the reasons we are such an altruistic species is

because we take joy in helping other people.

The way philosophers put it is in terms

of something called "The Doctrine of Double Effect,"

which is basically the idea that the morality

of a behavior is a factor of not just its outcome,

but its intended outcome.

So, if the goal of helping others was to achieve happiness,

then that's not very altruistic.

However, if you help other people,

given happiness as a foreseeable outcome

of that behavior happens anyways,

that doesn't take away from the goal

of actually helping them.

There's a Buddhist monk and neuroscientist

named Matthieu Ricard,

who in his book, "Altruism,"

I think boiled this topic down succinctly,

and I'll paraphrase him.

He said,

"The fact that helping others brings us joy

is not contradictory to the idea of altruism.

In fact, that's what it means to be altruistic,

to find it a source of joy to help other people.

If we didn't find helping other people pleasurable,

we wouldn't be altruistic."

This becomes obvious when you think of the counter example,

which is the person who gives begrudgingly,

the person who gives and finds it a source of unhappiness

and wishes they hadn't done it.

Most of us would not want to be helped by somebody

who helped begrudgingly.

That would be a source of guilt, not gratitude.

And in fact, most people, when they're helped by somebody

who they know helped them voluntarily

because they sincerely wanted to,

are much more likely to feel

all of those positive effects of gratitude

that are a source of joy universally.

I think the fact that altruism brings us joy

is certainly not evidence

that altruism is never genuinely motivated by a desire

to help other people.

Really, it's a sign

that we are a fundamentally social species,

that joy is catching,

that we are built to want to help those around us,

and that that is the basis of a good society.

And we want to be members of a society

where people take joy in helping others.

Hey Big Thinkers.

Not only is helping other people joyful and enjoyable.

It has also been shown to enrich mental well-being.

But if you're in a rut, you might find it difficult

to want to engage with other people at all,

let alone help them.

Taking care of your mental health isn't just important

for your overall well-being.

It can also help

you become more involved with the people in your surrounding community.

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