Karma, altruism and charity

[John Wren]

the other day i went for my lunch break. i work at the top end of collins street and on this day it was hot and i was not particularly hungry. i had just come from a meeting which riled me so that did not help with my appetite. i went to maccas to get a big mac. some of you will know that they have a deal where you get free small fries and small drink with a big mac. i initially just ordered a big mac on its own but then changed my mind and got the meal deal. i proceeded outside and gave the fries and coke to a homeless man who is usually stationed nearby on collins street. i did this to primarily to change my mood. he was a beneficiary because i did something for myself and not essentially for him.

today, i went to maccas again but this time ordered two big mac meals. i went outside, went up to this homeless man and asked him why he was homeless. he gave me his reason which i will not repeat. without further questioning, i then gave him a big mac meal, said i couldn't do this everyday, wished him a good day and left. this time i did it for no other reason than i wanted to make sure he had eaten.

do the concepts of alturism, karma and charity exist? can one be truly alturistic? do you believe in the adage "what goes around comes around"?

[Pa Marmo]

Nice JW, as Christian I am comfortable with a Karmic type of mindset, along the lines of you reap what you sow.

[1061]

I think doing it as you state and you are honest about it "for yourself" is fine as long as your honest about it. Trying to dress it up will only bite people on their arses.

I got into a full of expression discussion with a girl at work long story short she was lying about something to big note herself and diminish my role. She has started being taught on how to read cards and all that stuff so I mentioned a link to the old Karma bus when she knows she is in fact lying. I actually felt a little ting of sorrow for her as she went white.

So I believe in it but I don't expect or go looking for it.

[What'sinaname]

There may be deeper issues here. Did you do it for him today, or for yourself so you could post about it here in a public forum? Do you feel the need for constant affirmation, either from yourself or others? Do you have issues with self-esteem?

Over to our resident psychologists.

[stui magpie]

You did it for yourself, to change your mood. Why would giving a homeless person food lift your mood unless you had that kind of mindset to begin with. Bribing your own emotions is a complex game.

So yeah, you done a good thing and I do believe in Karma and what goes around comes around. There's also another old saying, "you reap what you sow" That works too.

But seriously, Big mac?

There's one of the best burger joints in Melbourne underneath Collins Towers, opposite that Maccas (or at least it used to be) and you're buying a $£$%^%%$ big mac?

Please at least tell me you got it with quarter pounder patties?

[John Wren]

i knew someone would judge the purchasing of the big mac. i had a burger from burger edge only two days ago so didn't want another one.

[David]

We do nice things for others for many different reasons (and combinations of reasons), but I don't believe it's ever truly altruistic. Just some possible motivations are avoidance of guilt (if I give this $100 to the tsunami fund now I won't feel guilty that I haven't contributed anything), or a way to look good to others (comspicuous charity), obligation (if I don't do this, who will?), or a way of boosting our self-esteem (I'm a good person because I did this), just the satisfaction of seeing someone smile at you (the key word being 'satisfaction'). At the end of the day, it's all about you and what (you think) will make you happy, which is pretty much the only reason any of us do anything.

But there's nothing wrong with that, I should add. The world needs more people who get their kicks off helping others and being kind and empathetic. It'll make the world a better place for everyone, including yourself!

As for karma, I only believe in it to the extent that being nice to other people will tend to encourage them to be nice to you. Beyond that, I don't believe in any form of cosmic desert or universal law. We're just little specks on a ball of dirt in the middle of nowhere; the universe doesn't care whether we're Mother Theresa or Hitler. Even in a figurative sense I don't believe in karma because I don't believe anyone 'deserves' anything.

[stui magpie]

[partypie]

i wish more people performed randomly thoughtful acts. The world would be a much better place. pretty dreary world where people are questioning their own motives for doing something for others. You obviously felt some sort of reward so you did it again.

[think positive]

[David]

Why is it pessimistic? I'm just stating the facts (at least, as I perceive them to be). As I said, I don't think self-interest is a bad thing; it's just the way we're wired. I still think it's beautiful when people do kind things for each other for no reward other than the satisfaction of having helped someone. I just don't think we need to maintain myths like altruism and good and evil when we talk about it.

[John Wren]

[think positive]

If there was as many selfless people as there is selfish people, the world would be a much better place. If everyone paid it forward for a day, just think what could happen. I'll take that at face value. When you make someone's else's day, when you pick just the right time to pick that person up, who cares why, you could have saved that person, you could have licked just the exact second to help them through what ever is troubling them. I love random acts of kindness, and I don't think it needs to be analysed, well done John Wren, my kind of guy.

I'm a kind person, I like to spread it around, by David's standard that makes me a selfish, self absorbed good feeling addict by the sound of it! What 12 step program do I need!

I think I'll stick to my opinion thanks!

[David]

[think positive]

I understand myself pretty well

For instance I posted the last post in this thread to bask in my good dead
http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=75951&start=45

But when I actually did the good thing I can assure you my own personal satisfaction did not come into it


As for getting a well done me kick back from it, judging the response to the post here, it's a good thing I don't have self esteem issues!
!

Cheers