Altruism
noun
The quality of caring about others and doing acts that help them even if it does not benefit you.
Her altruism was evident when she donated all of her lottery winnings to charity.
Often appears as...
- act of altruism
- show altruism
noun
In biology, a behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species.
The bee exhibits altruism when it stings an intruder, knowing it will not survive afterwards.
Often appears as...
- genetic altruism
- kin altruism
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
The quality of caring about others and doing acts that help them even if it does not benefit you.
Her altruism was evident when she donated all of her lottery winnings to charity.
Often appears as...
- act of altruism
- show altruism
noun
In biology, a behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species.
The bee exhibits altruism when it stings an intruder, knowing it will not survive afterwards.
Often appears as...
- genetic altruism
- kin altruism
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Connotation
Altruism has a positive meaning and is associated with kindness, making it fitting for commendations.
The altruism of the nurse during the crisis was commendable.
Pro Tip 2/3Humanitarian Context
Use 'altruism' when discussing voluntary work or charity, where there is no expectation of a reward.
Volunteers exhibit true altruism by giving their time without expecting anything in return.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Self-Interest
Altruism is the opposite of self-interest; it's helping others, often with a cost to oneself.
Despite the risk, his altruism led him to rescue the stranded hikers.
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Connotation
Altruism has a positive meaning and is associated with kindness, making it fitting for commendations.
The altruism of the nurse during the crisis was commendable.
Pro Tip 2/3Humanitarian Context
Use 'altruism' when discussing voluntary work or charity, where there is no expectation of a reward.
Volunteers exhibit true altruism by giving their time without expecting anything in return.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Self-Interest
Altruism is the opposite of self-interest; it's helping others, often with a cost to oneself.
Despite the risk, his altruism led him to rescue the stranded hikers.
Pro Tip 1/3Positive Connotation
Altruism has a positive meaning and is associated with kindness, making it fitting for commendations.
The altruism of the nurse during the crisis was commendable.
Pro Tip 2/3Humanitarian Context
Use 'altruism' when discussing voluntary work or charity, where there is no expectation of a reward.
Volunteers exhibit true altruism by giving their time without expecting anything in return.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Self-Interest
Altruism is the opposite of self-interest; it's helping others, often with a cost to oneself.
Despite the risk, his altruism led him to rescue the stranded hikers.
Compare with
benevolencecharitycompassiongenerositygoodwillhumanitariankindphilanthropyselfless
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Video examples
How smart are dolphins?...
and how confident they feel about that knowledge. But some of the most amazing things about dolphins are their senses of empathy, altruism, and attachment. The habit of helping injured individuals extends across the species barrier as evidenced by the many accounts of dolphins carrying humans to the surface to breathe.
Video examples
Expanding your mind with...
leave residual benefits upon the individual basically they leave increased feelings of compassion and empathy towards others increased altruism and increased feelings of general well-being now in the study they defined as an experience of such perceptual expansion such perceptual
Video examples
Elephants Being...
These behaviours can be seen in close-knit elephant families, usually made up of the dominant female or matriarch, her daughters and her calves. Showing altruism or selflessness, the family will all pitch in to help rear youngsters and protect them in times of danger.
Video examples
Peter Singer: The why...
it matters just as much to all of these people. So I think reason is not just some neutral tool to help you get whatever you want. It does help us to put perspective on our situation. And I think that's why many of the most significant people in effective altruism
Video examples
Why some people are more...
to understand why he did it, what forces within him caused him to make the choice that I owe my life to, to risk his own life to save the life of a stranger? In other words, what are the causes of his or anybody else's capacity for altruism?
Video examples
Why elephants never...
is a capacity even more important than their sense of empathy, altruism, and justice. Elephants are the only non-human animals to mourn their dead, performing burial rituals and returning to visit graves.
Video examples
A whale saved my life PIPE...
paper about altruism in humpback whales, about how humpback whales have altruistic behavior towards other animals, not just their own species but other animals. Altruism is a true act of kindness,
Video examples
Elephants' Incredible...
calves showing altruism or selflessness the family will all pitch in to help really young stirs and protect them in times of danger when threatened to keep the more vulnerable babies in the center
Video examples
The Problem with Super...
disadvantage for the next higher level selfishness beats altruism within groups altruistic groups beat selfish groups everything else is commentary life at every level is constantly
Video examples
The new political story...
we can recover those amazing components of our our altruism and cooperation. Where there is atomization, we can build a thriving civic life with a rich participatory culture.
Video examples
How smart are dolphins?...
and how confident they feel about that knowledge. But some of the most amazing things about dolphins are their senses of empathy, altruism, and attachment. The habit of helping injured individuals extends across the species barrier as evidenced by the many accounts of dolphins carrying humans to the surface to breathe.
Video examples
Expanding your mind with...
leave residual benefits upon the individual basically they leave increased feelings of compassion and empathy towards others increased altruism and increased feelings of general well-being now in the study they defined as an experience of such perceptual expansion such perceptual
Video examples
Elephants Being...
These behaviours can be seen in close-knit elephant families, usually made up of the dominant female or matriarch, her daughters and her calves. Showing altruism or selflessness, the family will all pitch in to help rear youngsters and protect them in times of danger.
Video examples
Peter Singer: The why...
it matters just as much to all of these people. So I think reason is not just some neutral tool to help you get whatever you want. It does help us to put perspective on our situation. And I think that's why many of the most significant people in effective altruism
Video examples
Why some people are more...
to understand why he did it, what forces within him caused him to make the choice that I owe my life to, to risk his own life to save the life of a stranger? In other words, what are the causes of his or anybody else's capacity for altruism?
Video examples
Why elephants never...
is a capacity even more important than their sense of empathy, altruism, and justice. Elephants are the only non-human animals to mourn their dead, performing burial rituals and returning to visit graves.
Video examples
A whale saved my life PIPE...
paper about altruism in humpback whales, about how humpback whales have altruistic behavior towards other animals, not just their own species but other animals. Altruism is a true act of kindness,
Video examples
Elephants' Incredible...
calves showing altruism or selflessness the family will all pitch in to help really young stirs and protect them in times of danger when threatened to keep the more vulnerable babies in the center
Video examples
The Problem with Super...
disadvantage for the next higher level selfishness beats altruism within groups altruistic groups beat selfish groups everything else is commentary life at every level is constantly
Video examples
The new political story...
we can recover those amazing components of our our altruism and cooperation. Where there is atomization, we can build a thriving civic life with a rich participatory culture.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Ben Shapiro
American Author
Socialism states that you owe me something simply because I exist. Capitalism, by contrast, results in a sort of reality-forced altruism: I may not want to help you, I may dislike you, but if I don't give you a product or service you want, I will starve. Voluntary exchange is more moral than forced redistribution.
Quote examples
Alan Dershowitz
American Lawyer
Good character consists of recognizing the selfishness that inheres in each of us and trying to balance it against the altruism to which we should all aspire. It is a difficult balance to strike, but no definition of goodness can be complete without it.
Quote examples
Jonathan Sacks
British Clergyman
Britain, relative to the U.S., is a highly secular society. Philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by government cutbacks. And the sources of altruism go deep into our evolutionary past.
Quote examples
David Mixner
American Activist
Pharmaceutical companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in new HIV/AIDS treatments not out of altruism but because they can make up those research costs in sales.
Quote examples
Bart Starr
American Athlete
We, all of us, could do a much better job of evoking what someone has called the universal principle of human altruism: the urge in us all to help others who are in danger.
Quote examples
Dustin Lance Black
American Director
I'm my mother's son, so when it comes to altruism and understanding how to do things to benefit a person's life... the women in my life have been much better than the men.
Quote examples
Deepak Chopra
American Speaker
We need to build websites with celebrity speakers who talk about the ideals of fairness, sharing, democratic cooperation, and altruism in public life.
Quote examples
Aneurin Bevan
Welsh Politician
I would rather be kept alive in the efficient if cold altruism of a large hospital than expire in a gush of warm sympathy in a small one.
Quote examples
Fethullah Gulen
Turkish Activist
I have spent over 50 years preaching and teaching the values of peace, mutual respect and altruism.
Quote examples
Richard Dawkins
English Scientist
Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish.
Quote examples
Ben Shapiro
American Author
Socialism states that you owe me something simply because I exist. Capitalism, by contrast, results in a sort of reality-forced altruism: I may not want to help you, I may dislike you, but if I don't give you a product or service you want, I will starve. Voluntary exchange is more moral than forced redistribution.
Quote examples
Alan Dershowitz
American Lawyer
Good character consists of recognizing the selfishness that inheres in each of us and trying to balance it against the altruism to which we should all aspire. It is a difficult balance to strike, but no definition of goodness can be complete without it.
Quote examples
Jonathan Sacks
British Clergyman
Britain, relative to the U.S., is a highly secular society. Philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by government cutbacks. And the sources of altruism go deep into our evolutionary past.
Quote examples
David Mixner
American Activist
Pharmaceutical companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in new HIV/AIDS treatments not out of altruism but because they can make up those research costs in sales.
Quote examples
Bart Starr
American Athlete
We, all of us, could do a much better job of evoking what someone has called the universal principle of human altruism: the urge in us all to help others who are in danger.
Quote examples
Dustin Lance Black
American Director
I'm my mother's son, so when it comes to altruism and understanding how to do things to benefit a person's life... the women in my life have been much better than the men.
Quote examples
Deepak Chopra
American Speaker
We need to build websites with celebrity speakers who talk about the ideals of fairness, sharing, democratic cooperation, and altruism in public life.
Quote examples
Aneurin Bevan
Welsh Politician
I would rather be kept alive in the efficient if cold altruism of a large hospital than expire in a gush of warm sympathy in a small one.
Quote examples
Fethullah Gulen
Turkish Activist
I have spent over 50 years preaching and teaching the values of peace, mutual respect and altruism.
Quote examples
Richard Dawkins
English Scientist
Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish.
Example 1 of 10
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