“My question today is that if a person is not looking for recognition, appreciation, or reward, then why would he or she do something for the benefit or welfare of another person? Are we not motivated to act in self-interest? In other words, my question is what moves a person to take an altruistic action?” I asked him.
Once again, he had the same proud smile on his face, when he said, “I think it is a big mistake to think that humans are motivated to act only in self-interest. Haven’t you ever seen people stopping and helping others who have met an accident on the road, even though they are completely unknown to them; or rolling down their car windows to give money to the needy, even though they might never see them again; or even just picking up a stone or a similar object lying on a path, that can potentially be a cause of stumbling for someone, even though they don’t know, who that person might be. I cannot see how such acts could generally be ascribed to self-interest.”
“If it is not in self-interest, then why do people do such things,” I asked.
“I think it is quite obvious that such acts make them feel good inside.” He replied.
“When you say ‘such acts make them feel good inside’, who are you referring to? Is it people of a particular country, a particular region, or the whole world? Does it refer to people of our time or to earlier times as well?” I was genuinely curious.
“It is my opinion that this is a universal phenomenon and is equally true for people of all times and all places,” he replied.
“What you are saying is that irrespective of a person’s educational, economic, geographic, or socio-political background, or religious affiliation, whenever one does good for someone else – without any self-serving, ulterior motive – it makes one feel good inside. Is that correct?” I asked.
“Yes. That is my opinion,” he replied.
January 3, 2020
(Dubai, UAE)
Absolutely right Sir…
Absolutely, yes! It gives you deep_seated happiness. I often stop by padestrians offering them a hitchhike. It makes me essentially happy. My daughter once asked me why I do so. Helping others makes us happy and more responsible. I also do such things in a hope to inculcate empathy in my kids which I truly lacked in my child as well as adulthood.
میں اس نتیجے سے پوری طرح متفق نہیں ۔ اس لیے کہ میرے اندر ایک ایسا جزبہ بھی موجود ہے جو مجھے اس بات پر ابھارتا ہے کہ میرے متعلق یہ سمجھا جائے کہ میں بے لوث خدمت۔محبت اور مدد کرتا ہوں۔ اسی طرح میں اگر ایک عقل مند شخص ہوں تو راہ میں گند نہیں ڈالوں گا ، درخت نہیں کاٹوں گا، وغیرہ کی یہ ماحولیاتی آلودگی کے ذریعے سے مجھے ہی نقصان پہنچانے گا۔ اصل میں میرا اجتماعی شعور مجھے کبھی بھی فرد کی سطح پر نہیں رہنے دیتا۔