Theos-Talk Archives (October 2011 Message tt00097)

Dear Tom and friends

My views are:

I wil ask the following questions:
What is it that you do not understand in the below definition?

Altruism is defined in many dictionaries using a similar definition as the following.
My ordinary definition runs like this: Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others. 
And Selfishness is the opposite of Altruism.

The selfless aspect lies in the intent and motive behind what you are doing. Also with regard to what you eat or not eat, and when you do it. And with regard to anything you are doing or not doing.

Each person can only do his or her best in promoting altruism. 

Or are you there where you are saying to your self: 
I do not actually understand basic words in the English language?


M. Sufilight

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Robertson 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 5:12 AM
  Subject: Re: theos-talk RE; politics and various Quests of the ION


    
  M. Sufilight wrote:

  >Dear Tom and friends
  >
  >My views are:
  >
  >Here is a short answer.
  >
  >Altruism is defined in many dictionaries.
  >My ordinary definition runs like this: Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others. 
  >
  >Altruism 
  >(The opposite of Selfishness.)
  >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
  >
  >And Selfishness is also defined in the Wikipedia. You do know what selfishness is do you not? (smile.)

  Not necessarily. It has many aspects to it, some of which I regard as
  good. Isn't eating selfish? Cheating is also selfish, but one I'd
  regard as generally good and the other as generally bad.

  >What is altruism to one person is not altruism to another. The whole idea is to find out about what the above definition actual results in - when taken seriously. And how you understand the word and the definition. Se my previous post here at the forum.

  I was reading it, but it was a little long for one sitting. I'll get
  back to it later.

  I was hoping you would give maybe 5 common examples of situations in
  which an altruist and an egotist would behave significantly
  differently in a way that would make the altruist look obviously
  superior, spiritually, to the egotist.

  >- - -
  >I do not hope you begin to ask me about what the planet Earth is. Smile.

  If, by that, you mean that the difference between altruism and
  selfishness is necessarily clear, with one clearly always being good
  and the other clearly always being bad, I might have to ask you what
  Earth is!


  

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