A short essay on Altruism and the failure of individualism
“It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Altruism is interesting. It is human nature to be altruistic because we as humans are naturally community centered. We are not meant to be alone, no matter what we tell ourselves.
Altruism signifies doing what is best for others despite it possibly negatively impacting you personally. It is not radical, much like authenticity, however it is a rare trait to have. Altruism branches off from Authenticity because it is an authentic trait to have.
Yes, it is a human trait, but it is not celebrated now nearly as much as it was back then when we were more centered and focused on our loved ones and on surviving as a family. (I am talking about the West, it is much more common to see this trait in non-developed countries where the nuclear family has not been destroyed by governments like socialism)
Individualism in the modern mind and way of life has effectively extinguished altruism in many of the people around today. The question “What about me?” has steered the conversation away from the family; instead of deciding what is best for everyone-- the subject steers in the direction of the individual person asking themselves about their best interests involved.
Today, success is often measured in what you can do by yourself and for yourself. If you can become rich by your own doing and your own work, bravo! You can say I did it, nobody else has helped me. Therefore I truly matter in this scenario. Is that really fulfilling for your soul, though?
We were never meant to be alone and we were never meant to succeed alone. All of the big successors in history were backed by their families, they borrowed large funds they could never afford to start their dreams. These are people that partnered with siblings and blood relatives with big dreams in mind.
How many of us immigrants come to America, retelling our stories of altruistic predecessors who have sacrificed themselves for their family and for their beliefs? Why do we lose our souls and our true belief system in this country? What happens to us the moment we touch foot on this soil. I have an explanation, though I will not delve it and into my personal beliefs. I am going to only be talking about altruism in this post.
It is important to mention that the altruistic trait is humans can be turned off by several outside factors.
Social media suggesting what our wants may be, media and film such as movies that we may watch with negative messages ingrained in them, as well as the general feeling of the populace, with the hyper-focus on material items today can all affect the malleable trait of altruism.
I think this is especially the case for women. Women need to be altruistic, for the sake of their families and the domestic setting that they should be maintaining.
Men have a need for altruism, too. It is a trait that is necessary in men in order to be able to protect their families, to lead properly and appropriately, to defend.
To get to the point— altruism does not thrive in our current family setting as Americans. The West has lost the way because we are so focused on individualism-- among other things.
It thrives in communities, either of close knit families or of close knit neighbors who all love each other. Altruism is only apparent when you have the means of helping others, because you have others close around you. You have support and love, that is something that makes you feel like a whole person, and not merely a shell.