Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t even think altruism is something that exists. The idea is to give without an expectation of anything in return. That’s a nice premise. However, it isn’t actually possible. We all want something in return for our actions. In most cases, people are looking to provide themselves with a vehicle to experience positive emotions within themselves. People want to feel like they are good, when the truth is that none of us are. We all give lip service about kindness, care, and helping others, but usually don’t recognize that our ability to provide these things is entirely dependent on sitting at the higher end of a global system which creates the very problems we are attempting to assist with. Nobody here reading this handbook would be reading it if they didn’t expect some kind of return for their efforts, efforts which cost energy. Those attempting to be altruistic are, at the very least, getting memories in return for their efforts. The very idea of altruism is a suggestion that Equivalent Exchange can be broken through nothing but good will. This is a Law that cannot be broken. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even in the case where that lunch materializes from the mist, it still costs the physical space it takes up, it costs time and energy to interact with through the senses, it costs these to consume, and all of these have carry-on effects for all parties involved in the interaction. Perhaps true altruism is possible when an unfeeling, etheric robot, that operates independently of reality, is the one being altruistic. Even then, that etheric entity is probably gaining second or third order rewards for the actions it takes, in the form of memories instilled into other sentient beings, as well as through proliferating itself within existence.
I’m probably obfuscating the concept quite a lot, but I simply don’t believe altruism is a real thing.
Regardless, I’m interested to see where pursuing this little venture goes. Onward and upward!
Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t even think altruism is something that exists. The idea is to give without an expectation of anything in return. That’s a nice premise. However, it isn’t actually possible. We all want something in return for our actions. In most cases, people are looking to provide themselves with a vehicle to experience positive emotions within themselves. People want to feel like they are good, when the truth is that none of us are. We all give lip service about kindness, care, and helping others, but usually don’t recognize that our ability to provide these things is entirely dependent on sitting at the higher end of a global system which creates the very problems we are attempting to assist with. Nobody here reading this handbook would be reading it if they didn’t expect some kind of return for their efforts, efforts which cost energy. Those attempting to be altruistic are, at the very least, getting memories in return for their efforts. The very idea of altruism is a suggestion that Equivalent Exchange can be broken through nothing but good will. This is a Law that cannot be broken. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even in the case where that lunch materializes from the mist, it still costs the physical space it takes up, it costs time and energy to interact with through the senses, it costs these to consume, and all of these have carry-on effects for all parties involved in the interaction. Perhaps true altruism is possible when an unfeeling, etheric robot, that operates independently of reality, is the one being altruistic. Even then, that etheric entity is probably gaining second or third order rewards for the actions it takes, in the form of memories instilled into other sentient beings, as well as through proliferating itself within existence.
I’m probably obfuscating the concept quite a lot, but I simply don’t believe altruism is a real thing.
Regardless, I’m interested to see where pursuing this little venture goes. Onward and upward!