Re: [APD] Goldfish, etc

["Andrew McLeod" <thefish at theabyssalplain_freeserve.co.uk>]

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:24:28 -0000, Bill D <billinet at comcast_net> wrote:

> Perhaps the main difference between animals and human beings is that humans
> are capable of altruism and the animals are not.
>
> Some appear to come close but they are really just applying group survival
> instincts that have developed over  eons.   On those rare occasions when an
> animal appears do to something nice for another animal, there is always a
> reason, but when I make a donation to breast cancer research, there is no
> direct or indirect benefit to me.  (If I were acting for selfish reasons,
> I'd give to a charity that supported research into male diseases.)
>
> Why do people act this way?  Maybe God planted a seed?
>
> Bill

Look carefully, and you will find that a large number of human behaviours can be explained in terms of "group survival instincts that have developed over eons". For example, monogamy, incest (relative lack of), sex (relative abundance of), our social nature, enjoyment from consumption food, and basically everything that happens during the 'teenage' phase...
Basically everything we 'like' doing, and everything we don't.
And worst of all, it's virtually unavoidable, at least if you want to live happily. So you just have to ride the flow of our genetic and social programming... :)

PS no good act is selfless, have you never seen the Friends episode? I give £20 a month to charity, but deep down I know that's a piddling amount that I give at least partly for my own benefit...

-- 
Andrew McLeod
thefish at theabyssalplain_freeserve.co.uk

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