In our world everything is quite balanced. If there is evil, then there is also good, hatred is opposed to love, and life is opposed to death. In the same way, the term “egoism” has the opposite meaning – “altruism”.
Both of these concepts characterize a person’s attitude towards others and are associated with selfless concern - for oneself or for people. Who are altruists and egoists and how do they differ from each other?
Who are altruists?
Word "altruism" comes from Latin "alter" and is translated as "others, other". This term refers to a selfless attitude towards other people, concern for their welfare and well-being.
Altruists tend to sacrifice themselves and give up their own benefits for the sake of the common good. The values and interests of society are above all for such people. They do not look for a reason for their actions and commit them only because they consider their actions to be correct, kind and useful to people.
The altruistic behavior of women and men may differ somewhat. Representatives of the fair sex usually demonstrate long-term social behavior, for example, caring for relatives throughout their lives.
Men are more prone to one-time actions: saving a drowning person or a fire victim - they make their decisions under the influence of momentary impulses. 
In general, altruists are characterized by kind-hearted actions that are not designed to receive profit or any bonuses. They are always ready to treat a dying animal, give all their money to someone in need, or help a person, even if this help carries risks for their life.
This behavior is usually explained by a reluctance to observe other people's suffering and moral principles instilled from childhood.
Who are called egoists?
The concept of selfishness is found in the Greek word eγώ, translated as "I".A person with selfish tendencies cares only about himself, thinks only about his own benefit and puts his own benefit above others.
The term “egoism” arose in the 18th century and implied a person’s fundamental priorities over the interests of other people. Over time, researchers began to distinguish between rational egoism, when a person evaluates the possible consequences of his actions, and irrational, in which actions are committed under the influence of impulse or shortsightedness. 
There is a theory that each of us is susceptible to selfishness at the genetic level. We are born with the instinct of self-preservation and try to satisfy, first of all, our interests throughout life.
This theory is explained by mankind’s long struggle for survival and natural selection, within which people had to exist in primitive society. Some researchers believe that we commit even the most selfless, at first glance, actions out of selfishness, because we latently hope to receive high praise for our actions and the approval of others.
According to the findings of scientists, the only child in the family or the one who was often spoiled in childhood, who grew up in an atmosphere of permissiveness and excessive care, usually becomes an egoist. A selfish child will never allow another to use his toys, and an adult will not give away his work supplies, which can make his colleague’s work easier and make him more noticeable in the eyes of his superiors.
If everyone is languishing from the heat, the egoist will not allow the window to be opened, citing the fact that he is cold. An egoist does not care about the interests and needs of other people, because his priorities are his own physical and mental comfort.
What is the difference between altruists and egoists?
Thus, an altruist lives for the sake of others, an egoist lives for himself. The first does not think about profit and does things for the benefit of people, the second focuses on his “ego” and does not take into account the desires of others. 
At the same time, the immeasurable value of human life does not allow us to call selfishness evil and altruism good, because if other people do not suffer from human selfishness, then the desire for personal gain is quite possible and justified. In addition, throughout life, under the influence of upbringing and society, a person can change and easily turn from an altruist into an egoist and vice versa.
So let's figure out what it means to be an altruist. As the common people say, an altruist is a person whose character has an insatiable desire to help and please everyone, to the detriment of even his own personal desires and needs. In psychology, altruism (from the Latin alter - other) is described as sacrifice and gratuitous love for another person.
And everything would seem prosaically clear - society should rest on such individuals, but everything is not so simple.
What personality traits are characteristic of an altruist?
An altruist will always give a helping hand: he will rush in the middle of the night to support a friend, take a grandmother across the road, buy a crying child a lollipop, and, in the end, remove a frightened kitten from a tree.
Such people are soft and calm, they do not try to talk a lot about themselves - they listen more often. Their extreme modesty sets them apart from the crowd. They always rejoice at the successes of others, and this interest in the fate of others is genuine and sincere. They will never raise their voice. They will point out their guilt if it was not even close to it.
When they make promises, they always keep them, regardless of whether it is convenient for them or not. Such a person will never let you down or betray you.
And, sadly, such people are very often taken advantage of.
Egoist and altruist are two opposites
Altruists are used by egoists - strong personalities who, on a subconscious and conscious level, want to satisfy their needs by any available means. Egoists do not take into account the interests of others. True, they can disguise that they are doing something for the benefit of their neighbor, but the ultimate goal is to achieve their own to the detriment of other people’s desires and capabilities. The egoist takes his own without asking. The egoist steps over principles and morals, takes leaps and bounds up the career ladder, leaving behind the gullible altruist. The most interesting thing is that the altruist will also help such a person and will sincerely rejoice at his ups.
The main difference between such individuals is that an altruist selflessly gives, while an egoist, without a twinge of conscience, accepts, takes and does not want to return the good.
Altruist syndrome
When a person gives his whole soul just to please a loved one, that’s good. But when an altruist forgets about himself, this is already dangerous, dangerous for himself. Altruists sacrifice everything: strength, time, and even health. They don't think about their sincere desires. This condition can be safely called “altruist syndrome.”
How to become an altruist?
It also happens that after a long struggle on the career ladder, frequent cruel treatment of subordinates, or many years of selfish use of one’s friends and relatives, one comes to the understanding that all this does not bring happiness.
I want to do something good and 
pleasing to one's neighbor. Give a chance to show that you are not a bad person. You can start with small acts of kindness: hang a feeder, help someone cross the road, give money to someone in need.
We have considered the question of who an altruist is, but it is not clear whether it is worth being one. Our world dictates such conditions that if you completely surrender to it, then they will simply start using you. It is necessary to find the line between forced selfishness, when it is important to defend your interests, and those moments when you can really bring good to your neighbor.
Hello, dear friends and guests of my blog! Today I will touch on the topic of altruism, talk about the meaning of this word and give examples. An altruist is a person who acts selflessly, without expecting anything in return. It seems to me that this is very relevant now, and our society needs to awaken these wonderful qualities in itself. I hope my article will help you with this.
The meaning of the word altruist is completely opposite to the word egoist. That is, this is a person who cares about others, does things and actions that benefit society, even to the detriment of himself. This concept was introduced by the French sociologist Auguste Comte. In his opinion, the main principle of altruism is to live for others. Of course, I don’t really like the word damage, since unselfishness still means acting not from inferiority, but most likely from abundance. This abundance does not necessarily manifest itself in some kind of material wealth of a person, but rather it is an abundance of the soul and heart. In the article about I already touched on this topic a little.
There is a similar concept of philotropy (from the Greek love of humanity). Philanthropists are people who do charity work. The simplest form of philanthropy is to give alms to those in need.
The characteristic qualities of an altruistic personality are kindness, responsiveness, empathy, activity, compassion. For people prone to altruism, the heart chakra works well. Externally, they can be recognized by their eyes, which emit a warm radiance. As a rule, altruistic individuals are optimists. Instead of wasting time being depressed and complaining about the world, they simply make it a better place.
Examples of altruistic activities
The properties of altruistic actions may differ between genders. As a rule, in women they are longer in nature. For example, they often give up their career for the benefit of their family. Men, on the contrary, are characterized by momentary heroic impulses: to pull a person out of a fire, to throw themselves into an embrasure. As Alexander Matrosov and many other unknown heroes did during the Great Patriotic War.
The desire to help others is inherent in all living beings. This is true even for animals. For example, dolphins help their wounded brethren stay afloat; they can swim for long hours under a sick person, pushing him to the surface so that he can breathe. Cats, dogs, foxes, and walruses nurse orphaned cubs as if they were their own.
Altruism also includes volunteering, donating, mentoring (only on condition that the teacher does not charge a fixed fee for this).
Famous people are altruists
Some altruistic acts are so strong in their depth that they go down in history for a long time. Thus, during World War II, the German industrialist Oskar Schindler became famous throughout the world for saving about 1,000 Jews who worked at his factory from death. Schindler was not a righteous man, but to save his workers, he made many sacrifices: he spent a lot of money on paying off officials, and risked going to prison. A book was written in his honor and the film “Schindrer’s List” was made. Of course, he could not know that this would glorify him, so this act can be considered truly altruistic.
One of the real altruists is the Russian doctor Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz. He dedicated his life to serving humanity, for which he became known as the “holy doctor.” Fyodor Petrovich helped poor people with medicines and softened the fate of prisoners and exiles. His favorite words, which can be made a motto for altruists, are: “Hurry up to do good! Know how to forgive, desire reconciliation, overcome evil with good. Try to raise the fallen, soften the embittered, correct the morally damaged.”
Well-known altruists include any spiritual teachers and mentors (Christ, Buddha, Prabhupada, etc.) who help people become better people. They give their time, energy, and sometimes even their lives, without demanding anything in return.
The best reward for them may be that the students accepted knowledge and embarked on the path of spiritual development.
Hidden motives
As I already said, our souls have a natural desire to take care of the world around us and people, because we are all interconnected. But sometimes the mind takes precedence over the impulses of the heart. In such cases, selfishness and concern only for one’s own good awakens in a person.
Let me give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will sign his house over to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the initial goal that this girl pursues is not helping a person, but immediate benefit after that.
But sometimes people are driven to do good deeds by motives that may not be clear even to the altruist himself. Let's take a closer look at these hidden motives.
Self-promotion
Increasingly, good deeds (selfless at first glance) are performed with the aim of increasing one’s reputation. World stars have all taken up charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the “potlatch effect”, in honor of the Indian ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp conflicts arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but this was an unusual battle. Each tribal leader held a feast to which he invited his enemies. He generously treated them and presented them with expensive gifts. In this way they showed their power and wealth.
Personal sympathy
The most common motive for altruistic actions is sympathy. People are more pleased to help those they like, their friends and loved ones. In some ways, this motive intersects with self-promotion, because one of its goals is to arouse the respect of people dear to us. But there is still a significant difference, because here there is love for one’s neighbors.
Ennui
Some people devote their entire lives to altruistic acts and service to society, without experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving the souls of others, so as not to hear the cry for help from his own.
True selflessness
True altruism has two important principles - selflessness and spiritual satisfaction from a good deed.
Let's consider this situation. A man on crutches walks next to you and drops his glasses. What will you do? I'm sure you'll pick them up and give them to him without the thought that he should do anything good for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. How will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then there is no smell of true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act makes your soul warm, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.
A true altruist does not seek material gain (fame, honor, respect), his goal is much higher. By providing selfless help to others, our soul becomes purer and brighter, and accordingly the whole world becomes a little better, because everything in it is interconnected.
And in its highest manifestation, true altruism is serving God, and serving other living beings, through the prism of understanding that they are parts of the Lord, without expecting anything in return.
In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sit on the head” of an altruist, it is necessary to develop awareness in oneself. Then you will be able to distinguish between those who really need help from those who are just trying to take advantage of you.
Video
In conclusion, I want to tell you a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures that illustrates the manifestation of true altruism and selflessness. Watch the video.
Ruslan Tsvirkun wrote for you. I wish you to grow and develop spiritually. Help your friends with this and share useful information with them. If you have any clarifying questions, do not hesitate to ask, I will be happy to answer them.
Altruism is selfless concern for other people. If you open a dictionary of antonyms, you will find that the term “altruist” is an egoist. A person with high moral principles, which require him to perform selfless actions aimed at satisfying the interests of another person. A person can be classified as an altruist only when there is not a single thought in his head about any benefit for himself.
An ordinary person often, when providing help to his loved ones, one way or another, counts on reciprocity. All this is alien to a true altruist. He just gives everything. This is the whole point of such people. An altruist does not need to count how much he has invested, and he does not expect that anything of what he gave will be returned to him.
So, what kind of person is an altruist usually? This is a calm, gentle person who rarely remembers his own affairs, being overly carried away by the worries of others. It is very difficult for such people to sit down to dinner without inviting someone else to the table. If people prone to altruism were able to help a person, they are sincerely happy about it. They are always very happy when other people succeed, and they also empathize very strongly with those who have some problems.
It happens that a person with such views on life tries to give everything he has to the first people he meets as quickly as possible, only because it seems to him that they need it more than he does. One of the negative aspects is precisely that a person very often acts in ways that harm himself. An altruist is not only one who thoughtlessly gives everything, but one who thinks about how to earn money to help others. A wise person will first figure out who needs to give and how much. He will give you a fishing rod and teach you how to use it, and not just feed you fish.
But, however, the meaning of the word “altruist” has long ago changed. And now this is what they call a person who, while caring first of all about himself, does not forget about other people. But such a person is not an altruist. This is the creator. At the same time, such people are much more reasonable. They will first make sure that their own lives are normal, and only then will they begin to help others, while making sure that their help is needed.
Probably everyone understood. The meaning of this word, if you remember, is completely opposite to the word “egoist”. But there is a theory according to which altruism is the highest form of egoism. After all, a person receives sincere pleasure from the successes of other people, taking direct part in achieving these successes.
We are all taught in childhood that kindness is good, and good deeds will make us significant people in society. This is true, but you need to understand that you shouldn’t let people take advantage of you. You need to help only when a person really needs it. Otherwise, he will simply “sit on your neck.” The main goal of any altruist should be not so much to provide everything “ready-made”, but to help the person himself achieve his goals. This is exactly how you need to help people. Strive to not only receive support, but also provide it!
6 (7783) 4 13 34 10 yearsAltruism (Latin Alter - other) is a moral principle that prescribes selfless actions aimed at the benefit and satisfaction of the interests of another person (other people). Typically used to denote the ability to sacrifice one's own benefit for the common good.
The term altruism was introduced in opposition to egoism. The concept of altruism was introduced by the French philosopher and founder of sociology Auguste Comte. Postulate: Altruism is Love in action. If you think about it, a lot will be revealed, for example, that Love and lust at first sight are not the same thing, and hasty marriages are almost all built on attraction, and not on Love. That Love is not a sexual feeling, not a food feeling (although I love barbecue) or any other feeling, but the brightest thing in your soul embodied in the external, making this external extremely close to your understanding and acceptance. Altruism is the manifestation of this feeling in direct action aimed at causing good in the way you understand this good. It happens - picking a beautiful flower to put it in a crystal vase. Just as Love happens despite hatred, so altruism does not necessarily manifest itself to an object that seems beautiful, and this is a scale dividing people, starting from zero, who are not given such impulses at all, through those who save only a beautiful girl and give alms only a pretty old woman, similar to the ideal image of a poor teacher, to those who are generally unable to remain indifferent to any manifestations of evil and injustice (again, as he himself understands it).
As usual, an explanatory dictionary: “Altruism is a selfless concern for the welfare of others, a willingness to sacrifice one’s personal interests for others.”
The term "altruism" was proposed by the French thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857) in order to express the concept opposite to egoism. Comte's principle of altruism said: “Live for others.” Og. Comte characterizes with it the selfless motives of a person, which entail actions for the benefit of other people. The concept of altruism has been used in Kabbalah for more than five thousand years in a row. Only in Hebrew it is a much deeper concept. In Kabbalah there is a definition of absolute egoism - “kilim de Kabbalah”, or, more simply, the desire to receive. This is how our egoistic nature is designated. And there is also the concept of the Creator, or simply the Creator. Its nature is designated as “ashpaa” - it is the desire to give, it is also universal altruism. But from the Soviet point of view, which is given in the B. Soviet Encyclopedia: “In the bourgeoisie. In ethics, the preaching of altruism usually hypocritically covers up the selfish essence of capitalism. Scientific Marxist-Leninist ethics established that the basis of morality is not the relationship between individuals, but, first of all, the relationship between social classes.” According to some evolutionary theories of morality (for example, P. A. Kropotkin, K. Kessler, V. P. Efroimson), humanity in its formation went through group selection for morality, in particular, for altruism: those groups survived whose individuals appeared and a genetic structure is fixed that determines altruistic - helping, selfless, sacrificial - behavior. If we take into account the evolutionists’ special understanding of altruism as an individual behavior that increases the possibilities of adaptation and reproduction of a related group with a possible decrease in the individual’s chances, then it becomes clear that altruism was one of the biological tools of fitness not of the individual, but of relatives, that is, “aggregate fitness."
Altruism is a selfless concern for others and a willingness to sacrifice one's personal interests for others. This is when you drag a wounded cat home, although this will add to your worries; this is when you help a fallen, disgusting-looking old man get up, but having picked him up, you suddenly experience an inexplicable feeling of satisfaction. This is when you leave money to an acquaintance in trouble, without hinting at all where it came from and without wondering whether he might go off the rails from such grace. The motivation for altruism, by definition, is precisely desires that are not associated with any self-interest.
A person does nothing without wanting to. No matter how disgusting the action was to him, if he began to perform it, then something seriously prompted him to do so. What? A system of significance, value, with the help of which a choice is made, including the lesser of two evils. As a result, a person is physically unable to deny himself even a minor action, unless there is a stronger motivation not to perform it. This is the whole “power” of any habits and drug addiction. That’s the whole ceiling of a person’s spirituality... At the same time, a person can demonstrate miracles of manifestations of spirituality if the motivation for this (promising inspiration by someone, excess energy of desires generated by the calls of the flesh, etc.) is sufficient.
Altruism refers only to what is realized - you cannot talk about the altruism of a washing machine spinning someone's dirty swimming trunks. An altruist does good (in his own mind, of course) not in order to have peace or joy in his soul. This would be real self-interest. As a result of an altruistic act, a person may receive immediate death instead of compensation when, without any hesitation, he rushes to push a child out from under the wheels. He is exactly like love, which is not because of something or for something. It is there and everything is here, for no apparent reason, and people light up with this light from time to time.
Just as all “correct” (from the point of view of a personal value system, the basis of which is laid down genetically) behavioral acts are encouraged by a state of satisfaction, like sexual behavior, in the same way altruism leads to satisfaction, which subsequently further predetermines such behavior. This remains to be accepted as is. It is not vulgar because it constitutes our essence along with love, and true love is not vulgar. Whether we like it or not, altruism is inherent in humans from the very beginning. However, in huge flocks the circle of light of altruism is limited to loved ones. There are human individuals whose circle of light generally closes on itself. They take advantage of what others give them and in return benefit themselves. It would seem that at this stage of the development of civilization, the ancient mechanisms of altruism are no longer needed. Many people are sure of this. But this is a big misconception. There are many historical examples when communities and peoples in which there were no carriers of true altruism left, whose cultures were deprived of altruistic examples, essentially became an accumulation of unrelated individuals and disappeared without a trace. Altruism is the cementing basis of culture and morality that unites people. Without it, in many cases, any reason for general interaction is lost. And there are many circumstances in the world when survival becomes problematic without unity. You can come up with many different reasons for unity: religion, common goals and interests, but all this is actually based on a deeper and more common feeling that came from our ancestors - herd unity. You can deny it and be completely wrong. But this is a purely personal matter, as is demonstrated by each inventor of his theories of the world.
Article in the newspaper: “LITTLE RESCUE. 11-year-old Oleg Vityazev was awarded the Order of Courage posthumously. He saved a drowning girl, but he himself died.” Where does this impulse come from for an 11-year-old child? On a hill in Jerusalem, 800 trees planted in a single line form the Road of the Righteous. Under each tree lies a plaque bearing the name of a European Christian who saved the life of one or more Jews during the Nazi Holocaust. These “righteous infidels” knew that if fugitives were discovered among them, they would be exposed, according to Nazi policy, to the same danger as the people they were sheltering. During the Vietnam War, 63 American soldiers received medals of honor for saving their comrades from death in an explosion. Most of them covered unexploded grenades with their bodies. 59 of these 63 soldiers died. This is a specific example with specific numbers. What can we say about our Patriotic War, where there were hundreds of thousands of similar examples! Unlike other altruists (such as the 50,000 non-Jews who are now believed to have saved 200,000 Jews from the Nazis), these soldiers had no time to feel shame for their cowardice or to contemplate eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. It’s obvious that it’s not worth talking about people like Mother Teresa.
B.F. Skinner analyzed the phenomenon of altruism and came to the following conclusion: “We respect people for their good actions only when we cannot explain these actions. We explain the behavior of these people by their internal dispositions only when we lack external explanations. When external reasons are obvious, we proceed from them, and not from personality characteristics. Often we help others not because we have consciously calculated that such behavior is in our interests, but simply because something tells us that we should do so. We must help the old lady cross the road. We must return the wallet to the person who lost it. We must stand up for the child who is being bullied. We must protect our comrades from possible death or injury. The belief that people should provide help to those in need, regardless of possible future benefits, is a norm of social responsibility. It is this norm that encourages people, for example, to pick up a book that a man on crutches has dropped. Experiments show that even when helpers remain unknown and do not expect any gratitude, they often help people in need. Those who love always strive to come to the aid of their beloved. However, an intuitive, unconscious desire to help does not necessarily have to apply to the human being with whom you are connected by bonds of love or friendship. Quite the contrary, the altruistic desire to help a complete stranger has long been considered proof of especially refined nobility. Such disinterested impulses of altruism are valued extremely highly in our society and even, as experts say, they themselves carry a moral reward for the troubles caused to us. When we experience empathy, we focus our attention less on our own distress and more on the suffering of others. The clearest example of empathy is the unconditional, immediate provision of help to people to whom we feel affection. Among scientists studying the relationship between selfishness and empathy, there were different points of view, numerous experiments were conducted: they really wanted to reliably determine whether a person is capable of absolute selflessness... The results of the experiments indicated that yes, he is capable, but skeptic scientists argued that not a single one the experiment cannot exclude all possible selfish motives for providing assistance. However, further experiments and life itself have confirmed that there are people who care about the welfare of others, sometimes even to the detriment of their own welfare. “Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759: “However selfish man may seem, there are clearly inherent in his nature certain laws that make him interested in the fate of others and consider their happiness necessary to himself, although he himself gains nothing from it, except pleasure to see this happiness."
