Are you alone?
Do persons truly sacrifice parts of themselves for others or do they only act when they expect to be repaid in some fashion? Going back to the idea of thanking someone. Is it possible that every last thing we do we do because we expect something in return?
I suppose entire discussion gets slightly oblique when we consider what exactly is done for ourselves. I know many persons would say that a parents would sacrifice themselves for children etc. I will accept that and amend my statement to say that any non-familial relationship is based on selfishness and a cost/benefit analysis.
It is even more difficult to justify self-sacrifice when one chooses to look at it on the genetic level as Richard Dawkins did. Though I’ve never read the book I hear it is quite compelling.
What do you think?
June 21st, 2007 at 00:42
I read this blog entry because of the discussion from the friendship entry. Again, I’m sensing a bit of despair here as well. Life isn’t black and white, and you know that. It is almost as if you’re defining friendship as a business relationship, or an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” cliché. While on one hand there are certain aspects which are true in the statement, there are others that I disagree upon.
For instance, I’d like to add to your statement that it is not just selfishness, but also selflessness that goes into the equation. There are plenty of situations where a combination of all these factors apply. I don’t have time to go into genetics, but from what I’ve learned, it is not just the selfish gene that makes it through; there are plenty of examples where the altruistic gene exists as well.
June 21st, 2007 at 09:08
Hmmm. So you think selfishness is not all there is eh…