Altruism ~ Nature or Nurture?

Originally posted by FMF
If, for you, it "usually occurs instinctively", does that mean you mostly put it down to 'nature'?

No, not at all. It is almost certainly 'nurture' (the way a person is brought up, the morals and behaviours that are instilled in a person by their parents etc).

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Altruism ~ a complex manifestation of vanity?

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I know. That doesn't answer the question.
Why define it out of existence?

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I don't buy that.

Instinctive actions, like rushing to give aid to a fallen pensioner, is not fuelled by guilt of non-action. The impulsive response to give altruistic aid comes from upbringing and established character. In that split second it is not something you even think about. The 'altruistic reflex' kicks in and you immediately offer assistance. (For those individuals who pause to see who is watching etc, then the act would still be altruistic, but at the lower end of the altruistic spectrum).

Originally posted by FMF
Altruism ~ a complex manifestation of vanity?

I think you have now switched to describing egotism, not altruism.

Perhaps only an egotist could muddle the two?

😛

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
I think you have now switched to describing egotism, not altruism.

Perhaps only an egotist could muddle the two?

😛

Well, asking "Altruism ~ a complex manifestation of vanity?" was me trying to elicit a succinct 4-5 word summing up of what divegeester was trying to put across. I was probing him - perhaps in the way egotists do? He has the option of rejecting my sounbite-ification.

Originally posted by FMF
Well, asking "Altruism ~ a complex manifestation of vanity?" was me trying to elicit a succinct 4-5 word summing up of what divegeester was trying to put across. I was probing him - perhaps in the way egotists do? He has the option of rejecting my sounbite-ification.

Fine. I will now cunningly remove your question mark and make your comment a statement of fact:

"Altruism ~ a complex manifestation of vanity."

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I don't believe you took the common definition. I believe you created your own version of the definition in order to define it out of existence.

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You claim that your manipulated version doesn't exist. Actual altruism as most people would understand it, clearly does exist, hence the word.