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TheMightyBattleSquid t1_iymug4j wrote

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mementoTeHominemEsse t1_iymvd38 wrote

It's not my job to bring counter-examples when they haven't even tried to prove or argue for their point. But one example may be seeking validation, or thinking tbose traits are a moral virtue.

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Council-Member-13 t1_iymwj06 wrote

If it is seeking validation, then it isn't an example of selflessness.

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mementoTeHominemEsse t1_iymyq7k wrote

Selflessness in the perfect philosophical sense your conceptualizing it doesn't exist. Everything we do has a selfish motive.

Selflessness however in the sense the article is talking about and we talk about in day to day life is simply acting in a way that grants you no non-moral benefits. If someone gives a beggar money an upon being asked why claim they simply wanted to see the beggar smile, we will still call that selflessness. That's simply the way the word has been embedded in our language.

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Council-Member-13 t1_iyn1pvu wrote

Again, selflessness isn't seeking validation. They are contradictory. Unless you're ascribing to a very alien philosophy of psychology, you're going to get into trouble if you use validation seeking as an example of selflessness.

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mementoTeHominemEsse t1_iyn41yj wrote

Again, selflessness in the way you're conceptualizing it is not only not the selflessness the article or the common person talks about, it literally doesn't exist.

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MrVeazey t1_iymzztf wrote

I like helping people and being nice to others. I don't seek acknowledgement or praise because the action is enough. Is that selfish or selfless?  

I'm genuinely asking and not trying to be smug.

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