3 ms·

Over the years, I realized that everyone is selfish and will literally throw you under a bus for the right amount of money, or some other acceptable incentive.

by bserge 6y ago

Over the years, I realized that everyone is selfish and will literally throw you under a bus for the right amount of money, or some other acceptable incentive. Laws keep people in line, except for the few who break them and get away with it. Maybe I'm hanging around the wrong people (I often wonder where all the "right" ones are), but that's how it is. And if I don't play the same game, I'll keep getting fucked until I die. It's really depressing.

LeonB 6y ago
I think you might be hanging around the wrong people. I’ve rarely met people with the ethics (or lack) you describe and certainly haven’t stayed in their presence if i can help it.
joelbluminator 6y ago
Everony is selfish yes. Throw you under the bus - not sure about this one. Might be you need better friends.
yboris 6y ago
Once you make claims like "everyone is", it sounds like you've given up on evidence, or have a tautological (always true) definition. Empirical evidence says otherwise (about altruism): see the work of Daniel Batson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Batson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Batson As for good people, there are many. There are thousands who give at least 10% of their income to the most cost-effective charity they can find - https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ There are thousands of people working very hard on the most effective solutions to the world's most important problems - https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ There is plenty of hope. Find better people, work to improve yourself, the world, and others.
licebmi__at__ 6y ago
This cynical outlook it's definitely helpful, but I believe the truth is more gray. It's quite likely and understandable that my friends will throw me under the bus if they see their livelihood in danger, but so far it hasn't been the case for measly higher pay. And yet I have depended on the kindness of strangers who had nothing to gain by helping me enough times to acknowledge that it's not selfishness what engages human behavior. As always it kinda depends on the framing, you can even say that it's on my best interest to act for the common good, so even altruism is selfish, but then you'll have a useless definition of altruism.
IggleSniggle 6y ago
“Or some other acceptable incentive.” Ok sure, that leaves the opening wide for any possibility including “throw your friend under the bus or I will literally shoot you in the head,” “this 1 billion will be distributed to the needy if and only if you block your friend from receiving a promotion” or even more realistically, “friend 1 gets a promotion or friend 2 gets a promotion.” At any rate, for smaller things, my experience is that most folks will not throw you under the bus. At high stakes, it really just depends on whether the relationship with you (and folks you might complain to) and/or relationship to whatever intrinsic value system matters more or less than the stakes.

by bserge 6y ago

LeonB 6y ago

I think you might be hanging around the wrong people. I’ve rarely met people with the ethics (or lack) you describe and certainly haven’t stayed in their presence if i can help it.

joelbluminator 6y ago

Everony is selfish yes. Throw you under the bus - not sure about this one. Might be you need better friends.

yboris 6y ago

Once you make claims like "everyone is", it sounds like you've given up on evidence, or have a tautological (always true) definition. Empirical evidence says otherwise (about altruism): see the work of Daniel Batson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Batson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Batson As for good people, there are many. There are thousands who give at least 10% of their income to the most cost-effective charity they can find - https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ There are thousands of people working very hard on the most effective solutions to the world's most important problems - https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ https://www.effectivealtruism.org/ There is plenty of hope. Find better people, work to improve yourself, the world, and others.

licebmi__at__ 6y ago

This cynical outlook it's definitely helpful, but I believe the truth is more gray. It's quite likely and understandable that my friends will throw me under the bus if they see their livelihood in danger, but so far it hasn't been the case for measly higher pay. And yet I have depended on the kindness of strangers who had nothing to gain by helping me enough times to acknowledge that it's not selfishness what engages human behavior. As always it kinda depends on the framing, you can even say that it's on my best interest to act for the common good, so even altruism is selfish, but then you'll have a useless definition of altruism.

IggleSniggle 6y ago

“Or some other acceptable incentive.” Ok sure, that leaves the opening wide for any possibility including “throw your friend under the bus or I will literally shoot you in the head,” “this 1 billion will be distributed to the needy if and only if you block your friend from receiving a promotion” or even more realistically, “friend 1 gets a promotion or friend 2 gets a promotion.” At any rate, for smaller things, my experience is that most folks will not throw you under the bus. At high stakes, it really just depends on whether the relationship with you (and folks you might complain to) and/or relationship to whatever intrinsic value system matters more or less than the stakes.