Are Good Deeds Ultimately Selfish?

[Archmage_Mariona]

After reading the "Where the heck is everybody?" topic, I started thinking about a few things at work yesterday and I started thinking deeply about the true nature of good deeds. I like to believe myself that when I do good deeds they are for the right reasons but subconsciously they could be for many reasons. Plenty of people who save or help others do so for the recognition and so you get cases where "heroes" are becoming competitive with other "heroes" because they are receiving the recognition the first hero wanted. I also know from experience how good it feels when you get friends telling you "you're a really good friend" and even in one case I've had a friend tell me "I don't think there is one malicious thought in your body" now I try to help people because I feel its right, but I do love to receive such recognition, so does that mean I'm sub-consciously making the decision to be kind and helpful out of a desire to receive that respect and not because I feel it is the right thing to do. We all have parts of our selves that we deny or keep hidden even from our selves. You all probably know about the psychological defence mechanism known as repression, so it is entirely possible that we also repress our true thoughts and reasons for such things. So back to my original question, are good deeds ultimately selfish?

(For those that don't realise based on the topic I mentioned this is supposed to be a food for thought topic where everyone can share in a philosophical debate. I honestly believe we do these things for the right reasons but it is interesting to think that even our nicest thoughts may have selfish reasons)

[daid13]

If the reason why you're doing the good deed is to gain in some thing (in this th respect of your peers and others watching) I'd say probably, otherwise possibly, though this is just a snap reply that doesn't fully delve into it.

[Zenfrozt]

Hmmm, you could argue yes to this. For most people, a good deed results in that 'I feel good, righteous, awesome etc right now' when they do them.
Indeed there has been some research conducted into altruism and found the following:

When we engage in good deeds, we reduce our own stress -- including the physiological changes that occur when we're stressed. During this stress response, hormones like cortisol are released, and our heart and breathing rates increase -- the "fight or flight" response.

If this stress response remains "turned on" for an extended period, the immune and cardiovascular systems are adversely affected -- weakening the body's defenses, making it more susceptible to abnormal cellular changes, Post explains. These changes can ultimately lead to a downward spiral -- abnormal cellular changes that cause premature aging. (http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/s ... eds?page=2)

So good deeds could be argued to be ultimately selfish because by doing them we can prolong our own lives. Okay a little sweeping in generalisations but something to mull over.

[Prince of Spires]

Not all good deeds are created equally. So there isn't much in general that can be said about them.

Some people will definatly do a good deed just because of how it's percieved by other people. This is generally the feeling I get from politicians and other celebrities doing good deeds. Do a good deed because it will win you votes (or airtime or whatever).

And many people will to a smaller or greater idea want to hear that they are doing a good job. But the question is if that's the main aim of doing the good deed or if it's just a nice side-benefit.

If I can use myself as an example. I'm a blood donor. Now, for this story to make sense, let me elaborate a bit. In the Netherlands, you get no compensation for being a blood donor at all. They'll pay your parking place (if you're lucky) and you get a cup of tea when you're done. But that's it. So it's completely a 100% volunteer thing. Why do it then? Because it's the right thing to do. I don't have a family member who once needed a blood donation, no deeper stories or whatever. Just that. It's the right thing to do, and I hope that if ever I need a blood donation myself, someone else will have done the right thing as well.

another example of doing the right thing I find is Bill Gates. Now, I don't know the man personally. But he's giving away billions a year to charity. Why? Well, he wants to make the world a better place. He feels he has been lucky in life and wants to pass that on. Of course, it's easy to give away billions if you have a few more lying around. But it's actually a pretty rare thing to do. And not many people give away more then they earn in a year to charity.

So some good deeds are definatly selfish. But definatly not all of them. At least in my mind.

Rod

[daid13]

I agree with Rod 100%.

[Facade19]

Interesting thread.

I am not sure whether we must separate performing a good with an altruistic spirit. I think there is always a self-motivating force imbued in our wish to conduct a good deed. But, does the fact that we have this self-aspiring factor negate the value of the good deed? I think ultimately the way we measure a good deed is also just another reflection on how we judge. The act of judging is in itself a selfish undertaking and yet, we deem it also valuable and necessary.

I think when we genuinely seek to assist someone or perform an admirable service, we materialize this noble desire to quench this feeling of longing to do good. But, the very act of performing a good deed is grounded on our idea of the good. And the good - that is the value of the term good we associate - is in it of itself an artifact from someone's vision of good. Hence, this very continuation of the good is at its basic level a selfish value imprinted on the heirs of those who decided to adhere to the standard of good as original founded on.

Point being, whether selfish or not, does the act therefore debilitate the value of the performance of the act?

[NexS]

So some good deeds are definatly selfish. But definatly not all of them. At least in my mind.

I think I'm in the "Ultimately Selfish" boat. But selfish can be on a sliding scale too - not all selfishness has to be negative.
I coach under 12 and under 14 basketball. Why? Because I love basketball and because I like to make a difference in the boys' lives and want to help them succeed. Ultimately to try and see my area improve one child at a time, and I can do it by sharing basketball with some kids.
While that's a good thing to do, it's still because I like basketball or because I want to see improvement of the area/kids, but It's still me wanting to see or be involved in something.

I feel it's on the good end of the selfish scale.