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That's called being an idiot. Your government has brainwashed you into thinking of such acts as noble and courageous. They are not. Acts like this do not deserv
by jdimov10 10y ago
That's called being an idiot. Your government has brainwashed you into thinking of such acts as noble and courageous. They are not. Acts like this do not deserve admiration or respect. Encouraging this in the name of "patriotism" is beyond despicable.
But to get back to the point, as an individual, the only reason you would do something like this is because you feel better knowing that you have sacrificed your life to save other people's lives. Because, presumably, you couldn't live with yourself if you didn't. So if that's your way of dealing with the situation - that's fine, I guess. I still think you're an egoist for doing it.
- ceejayoz 10y agoI suspect people fall on grenades more to save their friends in the blast zone than some ideal of patriotism. There are cases not involving military/combat as well, like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Oates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Oates. You appear to have constructed a weird, intentionally specifically narrow definition of altruism as a strawman. Congratulations on slaying it.
- jdmichal 10y agoSpecifically, one is either an egoist for receiving any type of reward, intrinsic or extrinsic, and regardless of intent, or an idiot otherwise.
- hx87 10y agoIf I fall on a grenade, I'm not doing it for my country or some idea of "patriotism". I'm doing it to save my friends.
- taco_emoji 10y agoYour hypothesis (that everything is egoism) is unfalsifiable, and therefore useless.