Ji+Yoon+Hyun+(Altruism)

//**1. Are we, as some might say, motivated by a desire to save our off-spring?**//

Yes, I believe we are motivated to save our off- springs because we want to protect ourselves so we can produce off-springs, protect our families, and our genes. I also think it is very natural and a normal thing to help ourselves first than thinking for others. I think genes play a big role in this too. I think we were slightly talking about this topic during class, but almost everyone think what's best for him first, then think about their families (including relatives), then friends, then neighbors, and then maybe even protect someone you always see in the morning running at Tan-cheon. Our genes play a big role in this and tells us that we are in fact motivated by a desire to save all of our off-springs; we need to have children and save our off-spring to help in the future.


 * //2. Must there always be some sort of intrinsic reward for doing good?//**

I don't think there should always be a reward for doing good. Of course, we would feel more special and honored if we get rewarded in what we do good, but I think there are better rewards you can get from just yourself. As you do good people say that you start to really read in what kind of person you are and really organize the inner side of ourselves. At first, I thought that wasn't even close to being true but it is, according to my experiences. If we do things good there's no reward that can take in place of the reward I'm talking about. About two years ago, I went to a place called Flower village, a place where disabled people, orphans, and elders live and are protected receiving love and care. I once went there because I wanted to get community service hours. But unfortunately too many people from other places were going, if I wanted to go, they said that I had to give up my community service hours (I have no idea why). At first, I was really surprised and mad about that because what I really wanted was the hours. But I went there anyways to see and experience how it's like to help others. It'll probably take me hours to explain the process of taking care of many people, but what I can say is that I'm so happy I didn't get any hours helping other people. Time does not matter, what matters is how much you help these people and what you can do to make these people happy. Happiness, love, and my own satisfaction was the reward I received and I'm telling you, this was when I found out that there's nothing more worthless than receiving community service hours.


 * //3. Mr. Otis once said, "That having integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching." If this is so, and no one knows when we have done good, would you still do good?//**

Yes, because it will satisfy myself for doing something good. I strongly believe that doing something to raise up your reputation or to just get good comments on how people think about you is not what you're supposed to do. We help other people because we know they need help and that if we do so, we're both going to be satisfied in what we give and what we get. When this homework was assigned a lot of the psychology class friends were seriously talking about this topic and some people would say, why do something good if nobody is watching? Isn't that just a waste of time? I don't think so. If that is your answer, that won't get your anywhere. I'm a person who believes in the 'if you do things good or bad, which either side you choose, it will come back in return.' Therefore I don't care if someone really looks at me or doesn't when I do what's right or do good. I do things that will really help others and help myself, to find pleasure and to get the feeling of happiness and joy. Of course in some cases I want people to know that I have done some significant activities to help others but that's a long time ago story when I was younger. Personally, I want to tell the people who disagree with my point to really straighten their thoughts for a minute. You have to know that being good just in the outside of course does not mean that you're necessarily not good in the inside. But if you're doing good just to get credit or to get a better reputation than before, that wouldn't be the integrity Mr. Otis is talking about.


 * //4. "Delayed reciprocal altruism", seems like a gamble - back to game theory, any way. Does this seem to make sense to you? That is that we act out of a desire to have what we have done being done to us?//**

I have already stated above saying that I'm a person who believes in the 'if you do things good or bad, which either side you choose, it will come back in return.' Therefore I don't care if someone really looks at me or doesn't when I do what's right or do good. According to my experiences, I have always received something back in return when I have done something good. And even when I did something bad! Because realistically, if nothing comes back in return then what would the society look like right now? I think the world is pretty chaotic in a way right now but if we didn't have the idea or the belief of delayed reciprocal altruism, no one would be doing anything. But I do know that this is all just a belief and what really makes it happen is the belief we have when we do things when no one is really looking. Therefore I agree with the fact that we act out of desire to have what we have done being done to us. We might have been motivated and influenced from other people around the world who help others because they really care and worry about many people.


 * //5. Are we ever being truly "selfless" when committing an act of altruism?//**

Again, this has a connection to the question of doing good when nobody is looking. If we look up 'selfless' in the dictionary, it says that selfless is when someone is concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own. If we are doing something to improve our reputation and to make people think you in a good way, that wouldn't be being selfless. Personally, I think helping or doing good could help yourself, but people who really do good when nobody is looking might be doing it to help many other people; not just themselves. But when we're doing good when everyone else is looking and your purpose helping is to gain much better attention from everybody else, then you wouldn't be selfless. You would be only helping yourself and not really doing things to respect and to help others. Again, this would depend on what kind of situation we're in. If we're in the integrity position, that would be more like being selfless and the opposite would be not being selfless; this is what I think in conclusion.