Define altruism. Give an example.

Define altruism. Give an example.



What is altruism? An altruistic person is concerned and helpful even when no benefits are offered or expected in return

Penelope was driving to a friend's wedding in a beautiful gown with impeccable makeup and hair. She noticed a car jet off the road and flip upside down into a deep canal. Without a thought, she immediately stopped her car, kicked off her heels, and ran towards the accident. Knowing the driver was still in the car, she single-mindedly jumped into the deep canal and swam towards the bottom to attempt to rescue the driver. Penelope was not a great swimmer, and she was having difficulty breathing in such deep water, but her heart told her that she needed to save the driver.

One could say that Penelope is exhibiting altruistic behavior in this example. Altruism is the belief that the well-being of others is equally, if not more, important than the well-being or survival of the self. Further, altruism involves selfless acts or undertakings that put the welfare of others before one's own. Truly altruistic people do not practice seemingly selfless acts for their own benefit; they do not have ulterior motives, such as a desire to gain recognition, a reward, or even make themselves feel better.

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