Does Altruism Really Exist?

Does Altruism Really Exist? We’ve all heard the term thrown around, usually in the context of people doing something for others without expecting anything in return. But, let’s ask ourselves a tough question: Does true altruism actually exist?

Imagine a world where everyone is purely selfish—sounds chaotic, right? But, if you think about it, we didn’t start out by cooperating; that came later because we figured out that cooperation was actually better than being selfish. So, why did we make the shift?

We, as humans, are driven by incentives. Every action we take has some form of motivation behind it, even if it’s just a subtle one. If we lived in a perfectly rational world, wouldn’t the best option always be to act in our own self-interest? After all, in a zero-sum game, someone else’s loss is my gain. If everyone’s out for themselves, wouldn’t that lead to a world where we’re all competing so hard that we end up worse off?

But here’s the twist: life isn’t a one-time game. We make decisions every day, over and over again. If I decide not to cooperate today, that behavior might spread around me, and suddenly, I’m surrounded by people who also don’t cooperate. On the other hand, if I choose to cooperate, those around me are more likely to do the same, creating an environment where everyone benefits. So, maybe people cooperate not because they’re selfless, but because it’s in their long-term self-interest to do so.

Even when we’re doing something that seems purely for someone else’s benefit, there’s usually some incentive. Think about the Prisoner’s Dilemma: two people are better off cooperating rather than betraying each other, even if the temptation to betray is strong. This shows that the world isn’t just a zero-sum game—there’s potential for everyone to win if we work together.

But what about those times when people cooperate out of genuine affection? Maybe they’re helping someone without considering the outcome, simply because they care. Does that make them truly altruistic, or is there still some subtle incentive at play—like the warm feeling of doing something good?

In the end, the choices we make don’t just affect us; they ripple out to influence the people around us and even the broader environment in the long run. While our environment shapes who we are in the short term, in the long term, we also have the power to shape our environment.

So, does altruism exist? Maybe, maybe not. But what’s clear is that cooperation—whether motivated by self-interest, affection, or something else—is key to creating a world where everyone can thrive.