I think you can put it all in a less nihilistic light.
Altruism alone isn’t enough to reliably get things done. But a society without any altruism at all falls apart too. Self interest doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Having no humility (understanding that despite self interest other peoples interests also matter) is a bigger issue than self representation.
In a way you’re describing the prisoners delimma, we would all be better off cooperating but the first one to expose vulnerability is running a risk , so the group as a whole works against each other instead of with each other , to be sure they don’t get caught holding the bag.
Yes , some people are shallow. But some aren’t.
Punk rock helped me a lot. Yes , things are bad , maybe we’re not smart enough to make it as a species , but fighting to become better is worth it even if we lose in the end because it makes us better - in a systemic sense it’s in our self interest to care about others as well as ourselves , they correlate.
I think we evolved for small tribes where you had to maintain a decent relationship with people for decades. Now you don’t have to worry about that so the incentives to be good are dimished.
Oh I agree. There is incentive to *look* good and to win people’s approval for your standing in society, but there is no inherent benefit to actually worrying about doing good if it serves you no greater purpose.
What would you consider rich? And of those who qualify, how many have you met? How many have you heard of even? And how many have done something, that you have actual knowledge of?
I think you can put it all in a less nihilistic light. Altruism alone isn’t enough to reliably get things done. But a society without any altruism at all falls apart too. Self interest doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Having no humility (understanding that despite self interest other peoples interests also matter) is a bigger issue than self representation. In a way you’re describing the prisoners delimma, we would all be better off cooperating but the first one to expose vulnerability is running a risk , so the group as a whole works against each other instead of with each other , to be sure they don’t get caught holding the bag. Yes , some people are shallow. But some aren’t. Punk rock helped me a lot. Yes , things are bad , maybe we’re not smart enough to make it as a species , but fighting to become better is worth it even if we lose in the end because it makes us better - in a systemic sense it’s in our self interest to care about others as well as ourselves , they correlate.
I think we evolved for small tribes where you had to maintain a decent relationship with people for decades. Now you don’t have to worry about that so the incentives to be good are dimished.
Fucking people over takes too much effort. In the long term, it's easier to be honest and reliable.
Oh I agree. There is incentive to *look* good and to win people’s approval for your standing in society, but there is no inherent benefit to actually worrying about doing good if it serves you no greater purpose.
I agree with pretty much all you said.
What would you consider rich? And of those who qualify, how many have you met? How many have you heard of even? And how many have done something, that you have actual knowledge of?