Altruism Is Selfish, And That's Ok | Max Krasnow | TEDxCambridgeSalon

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TEDx Talks

TEDx Talks

Күн бұрын

Few would argue against the positive benefits of altruism. But is altruism only real if it is self-less? Max Krasnow, Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, reveals how human altruism evolved because it was selfish, and how understanding that is the key we need to unlock more altruism in the world. Learn more at www.tedxcambridge.com
Max Krasnow is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and the director of the Evolutionary Psychology Lab at Harvard University. He studies the design of the cognitive mechanisms that underlie human sociality and how they evolved, using a combination of analytic modeling techniques and standard behavioral experiments to triangulate on answers to these questions. He is interested in advancing the basic science understanding of human social nature, and also in better characterizing the ‘levers’ on that nature that can help tailor public policy to produce better effects. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Пікірлер: 107
@maync1
@maync1 3 жыл бұрын
I'll remind myself of being selfish next time I jump in the pool to save the neighbor's cat.
@Tryalittlebit
@Tryalittlebit Жыл бұрын
If you didn’t want to see the cat die though then you were saving the cat for yourself, it just happened to benefit your neighbor more than you.
@maync1
@maync1 Жыл бұрын
Saving the cat was not for my personal pleasure of profit. I didn't save it to be a hero. And I never thought about the neighbor either. I saved it because like all things, it struggled and wanted to live.
@uvindukulathunga3860
@uvindukulathunga3860 Жыл бұрын
@@maync1 You do it bcz you feel bad for the cats pain at the end it was about you feeling bad This isnt about you its about human biology , its about humans being more robotic than sentience than we think we are
@maync1
@maync1 Жыл бұрын
Well, in my book empathy does exist.
@Tryalittlebit
@Tryalittlebit Жыл бұрын
@@maync1 yes, that’s what I said. Just reworded.
@larrylutsky181
@larrylutsky181 17 күн бұрын
Every action we take is because it gives us a greater sense of self-satisfaction. That includes even the ultimate sacrifice.
@natural997
@natural997 3 жыл бұрын
If you help someone and you never see them again, it's not a waste. You simply helped them.
@sam5992
@sam5992 2 жыл бұрын
No, you primed other people to want to help others. That other person could be you in the future. It's still ultimately a selfish act.
@natural997
@natural997 2 жыл бұрын
@@sam5992 That's some warped logic there m8
@sam5992
@sam5992 2 жыл бұрын
@@natural997 proves to me that you don’t have the mental capacity to understand the point of the video.
@kitchenappliance4363
@kitchenappliance4363 2 жыл бұрын
You help them to fulfill your basic sense of morality and to be consistent with your idea that you should help people. Not helping would mean you go against your moral values and that's not a nice feeling. You help to avoid the opposite option. That's my view of it atleast.
@sam5992
@sam5992 2 жыл бұрын
@@kitchenappliance4363 How could you literally miss the entire point of the video so badly, when it was literally spelled out for you?
@joedoe783
@joedoe783 3 жыл бұрын
Everything to me looks ultimately motivated by self-interest.
@nvmffs
@nvmffs 2 жыл бұрын
Well, you're wrong. A couple reasons why. First of all, even if you get a satisfaction from doing an altruistic deed, that doesn't mean you did it for that reason. It's simply a byproduct of your selfless character. Second, you will not have time to have any chemical reaction resulting in pleasure if you act out of altruistic instict to save someone that you just saw drowning for example. Third, the definition given in this video is incorrect and formulated like this for the sole reason to prove a point. Altruism doesn't necessarily rule out benefit to the self. For example, if I sacrifice a lot of time helping someone and did it without any expectations of a reward but that person ended up rewarding me anyway, then that doesn't change the fact that the helping behavior was out of pure altruism.
@varunpratapsingh8405
@varunpratapsingh8405 2 жыл бұрын
@@nvmffs after helping someone you feel good, and therefore it's that good feel that the brain would want so if i try to observe this behaviour it's also selfish.
@nvmffs
@nvmffs 2 жыл бұрын
@@varunpratapsingh8405 Yeah but that's not always the case. If you don't have time to consider it, then you didn't do it for the good feel.
@rift2568
@rift2568 2 жыл бұрын
@@nvmffs what if it’s instinctual though
@nvmffs
@nvmffs 2 жыл бұрын
@@rift2568 You mean we somehow know instinctively we'll feel good after? Technically possible but there are a couple of a problems with this theory. Why would evolution leave us with such an instinct? It goes against what we know about evolutionary instincts. Besides, in the example of the drowning man, there's also the survival instict and that one usually trumps everything else. Consider a person lying on the sidewalk in downtown New York for example. How many people would stop and help them out? Not too many, right? Why would that be if we possessed a hardwired instict to basically look for creatures in need so that we can get gratification out of the act of helping?
@Stimpy77777
@Stimpy77777 4 жыл бұрын
Spot on!
@artoffugue333
@artoffugue333 Жыл бұрын
I generally agree with his point. The headscratcher to me are the rare cases where a soldier in battle gives up his own life to save his buddy. How is that selfish?
@damson9470
@damson9470 Жыл бұрын
To be seen as a hero maybe?
@moehead8257
@moehead8257 Жыл бұрын
first of all, it depends on his intentions, if he's fighting for a greater goal, than is a subtle hint of selfish, also he could have done it in order to not feel guilty in the future and therefore thinking of himself. I think it is subjective.
@dogleggedhades0
@dogleggedhades0 8 ай бұрын
I can think of a lot of reasons. He didn't really want to continue fighting through the horrors of war. He felt like a death in the glory of war was better than anything he'd achieve in life. He didn't want his friend to die. Etc
@kingmj87
@kingmj87 3 ай бұрын
I think love is a deep primal sense of connection that we develop with the people that we spend the most time with (sharing our most powerful experiences with), and that that sense of connection results in us seeing them as a PART of ourselves... and at a certain point, we can even see those who we personally love as an even BIGGER part of who we are than us. As a result, we'd do anything for them because (on a deep unconscious level) they ARE us. ...Or maybe the soldier just knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't.
@elinope4745
@elinope4745 4 жыл бұрын
I think that people are more inclined to aid those they find to be attractive. As the world gets prettier, it gets kinder. Its easy to look around and see if these two things are correlated. Are the communities with more attractive people more inclined to be kind to each other? I will also point out the neoteny study on foxes. Selecting for kind behavior resulted in creating a "cute" appearance in the foxes. Beauty is not only skin deep, and skin deep beauty is not only skin deep. Attractive people make the world a better place.
@maync1
@maync1 3 жыл бұрын
Does the world get prettier?
@hantupochong1618
@hantupochong1618 3 жыл бұрын
@@maync1 yes, the world get prettier and more deceiving everytime, and people don't even realise bacause of that, the world have become much more uglier.
@ireneswackyjournals8810
@ireneswackyjournals8810 3 жыл бұрын
Eye roll excuses to be selfish
@krzysztofrozenberger4204
@krzysztofrozenberger4204 Жыл бұрын
...are you high?
@FarrahSharpe
@FarrahSharpe 2 жыл бұрын
Great Talk! Unique perspective.
@mariusbergstrmhelgen5992
@mariusbergstrmhelgen5992 3 жыл бұрын
Altruism is when you help someone without wanting/seeking something back
@ireneswackyjournals8810
@ireneswackyjournals8810 3 жыл бұрын
Which is dying
@swanihilator6748
@swanihilator6748 2 жыл бұрын
@@ireneswackyjournals8810 Please go seek some help.
@ireneswackyjournals8810
@ireneswackyjournals8810 2 жыл бұрын
@@swanihilator6748 no. Everyone seeks something back. Even if it’s their own peace. And unfortunately even that is dying as more and more people go for not even helping.
@swanihilator6748
@swanihilator6748 2 жыл бұрын
@@ireneswackyjournals8810 Sure mate, whatever you say.
@miramalverick2767
@miramalverick2767 2 жыл бұрын
@@swanihilator6748 even if you´re not scheming about obtaining anything is exchange for your altruism in any way, there still exists the whole uncounscious conception passed down through moral means (family, school, religion, etc) which gives you the idea, perception, notion and going forward which directs your behavior towards helping someone out of "pure kindness". in truth, true altruism requires doing something for others for no reason at all!!! And there is no such thing as doing anything without a reason, even is there isnt a conscious reason behind such, it still exists behind the constitution of the super ego or the ID within a individual.
@malita354
@malita354 Жыл бұрын
Politicians say, "I just want to sacrfice for you the People!" 😅
@damson9470
@damson9470 Жыл бұрын
I would've spent the 5 bucks on person 2. Does that change anything?
@shravyadevadhar2807
@shravyadevadhar2807 2 жыл бұрын
This doesn't seem to explain why people give their lives to save a stranger's life
@georgehiggins1320
@georgehiggins1320 Жыл бұрын
Maybe to feel really great about themselves in the last moments of their life or the hope of an afterlife with a reward for their heroic action?
@jimcramer6149
@jimcramer6149 10 ай бұрын
@@georgehiggins1320You sound like an intelligent person.
@georgehiggins1320
@georgehiggins1320 10 ай бұрын
You sound like a very kind person. 😁@@jimcramer6149
@criticalthinker-ys7vt
@criticalthinker-ys7vt 18 күн бұрын
altruism is not selfish, its selfless.. just because you want to do it or it makes you feel good helping others doesnt make it a selfish act... selfish means only doing things for your own interest.
@ficationsare6552
@ficationsare6552 2 жыл бұрын
All people are selfish, and that's okay.
@kh-wg9bt
@kh-wg9bt 2 жыл бұрын
When I see a person acting selfishly I often think 'if everyone acted like you, you wouldn't like it' A guy in a £100,000 car parked behind me and blocked me (and 3 other cars in). Then I seen his car in a disabled space. He was young and physically very fit, obviously lifting weights to build muscle in his spare time. If I blocked HIM in. How would he feel? If he was taking his disabled mother the doctors and all disabled spaces were taken by healthy people. I'm sure he'd be miffed. There's a hypocrisy in selfishness that just boils my blood.
@theogrichguy1335
@theogrichguy1335 3 жыл бұрын
I have to find the main idea of this, and I have to find supporting details and evidence.
@kingmj87
@kingmj87 3 ай бұрын
Okay, but a big part of me personally benefitting from my altruistic behavior is how it wanks my ego to pretend that I'm NOT acting in my own self-interest, so I must respectfully disagree (out of pure self-interest). Sorry.
@alexsepulveda5239
@alexsepulveda5239 3 жыл бұрын
Altruism is amazing in whatever form it comes in.
@jimcramer6149
@jimcramer6149 10 ай бұрын
Some people don’t need a reason to help another when they are in a position to do so. If you believe otherwise, perhaps you are not one of those people.
@ismyname_jep1394
@ismyname_jep1394 2 жыл бұрын
12:40
@A_friend_of_Aristotle
@A_friend_of_Aristotle 7 ай бұрын
There are no positive benefits of altruism. How can sacrifice - either others to one's self or one's self to others - be anything but...sacrifice? I think most people (Max included) simply don't understand what the word means...what sacrifice *_really_* means. It means destroying something of value for nothing...for no specific, identifiable, rational reason. It is a *_DEAD END_* ...a non-value. Why would anyone think such at thing produces anything that is "OK"?
@kerebaka
@kerebaka 6 ай бұрын
It’s all fine and Dandy, but what about the chronic freeloaders? Would you consider them bullies?
@kingmj87
@kingmj87 3 ай бұрын
Not bullies. But definitely selfish. The bullies are usually those who use the mere existence of freeloaders as an excuse to attack those who genuinely need help.
@denismijatovic1239
@denismijatovic1239 2 жыл бұрын
Altruism is as selfish as a circle is a square
@punkhyena875
@punkhyena875 2 жыл бұрын
I dont believe it to be selfish there are people who give up there lives for others knowingly and that doesn't make sense if it was for some form of self benefit and if it was only about making you feel good. Materialists like to think they know all the answers about the world and humanity but lets be honest you dont know any more then a religious zealot.
@dogleggedhades0
@dogleggedhades0 8 ай бұрын
You are assuming those people hold value in their life. It could be as simple as not wanting someone else to die. It could be an idea of that's the best thing they think they can accomplish. Nobody knows anything. We all try our best to rationalize some sort of answer, so let's chill
@Mykhyn777
@Mykhyn777 3 жыл бұрын
Altruism is the epitome of selfishness.
@alexsepulveda5239
@alexsepulveda5239 3 жыл бұрын
How??
@ireneswackyjournals8810
@ireneswackyjournals8810 3 жыл бұрын
Lol. When everyone flips meanings to justify being selfish assholes
@jimcramer6149
@jimcramer6149 10 ай бұрын
You seem smart
@Mykhyn777
@Mykhyn777 10 ай бұрын
@@alexsepulveda5239 Altruism. you help people on a regular basis because you feel a duty to Society to help people based on a code of morality and repeated patterns. You feel that it is your duty to society to place others above one’s self, and sacrifice one’s own well-being for the sake of others, rather than acting from a genuine place from heart. Altruism is hypocrisy. Altruism is not genuine, it’s satisfying one’s own need to feel like a good person by satisfying a duty. Rather, someone who regularly works in their own self interest, when they choose to give or do something kind, it is not based on duty to society, and can arguably be made similar in point, to make themselves feel good, but in practice experience more instances of actually and genuinely taking notice of someone in need, and giving freely with the genuine intention of helping them. Once can therefore argue that because the altruist is always seeking to satisfy their duty to society, in every dealing, they are therefore the epitome of selfishness, obsessed with their own needs to feel like a better person. Rather, someone who regularly does as they please, just living life, without feeling in any obligation to society, giving freely as one does so wish, would experience less instances of true selfishness. Rather innocence. I do not personally agree with claims that selfishness is a negative human quality, but if I were to call anyone selfish, it should be directed to the altruist, who is most often the one who is calling others selfish.
@kingmj87
@kingmj87 3 ай бұрын
All action is. You want to do the things that YOU want to do.
@dirkbastardrelief
@dirkbastardrelief 3 жыл бұрын
Why is he talking like that? Is he pulling a prank? Is he quietly farting? Is the audience "special"?
@afireinhearts1302
@afireinhearts1302 3 жыл бұрын
......???
@inaguration.913
@inaguration.913 Жыл бұрын
???
@georgehiggins1320
@georgehiggins1320 Жыл бұрын
How is he talking? Is he talking in an abnormal way?
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