> Real humans are much more than self-interested; we are social beings who are defined - who experience the world - by caring (trigger word!), cooperating, or j

> Real humans are much more than self-interested; we are social beings who are defined - who experience the world - by caring (trigger word!), cooperating, or just giving. The theory of selfishness is provocative and widely repeated, but doesn't hold up to even a little scrutiny. Most of what humans do is for others. Yeah this is where we disagree philosophically. I'm in the egoism camp. That is to say that when people care, cooperate, and give, it's really about them seeing that these actions result in the most benefit for themselves in the long run. We live in a society where if you're seen as selfish and uncaring, people can make your life miserable, and will no longer cooperate with you. Or they'll straight up attack you. There's also painful feelings of regret and guilt when we fail to act in a way we've learned is the right, good way. And perhaps some of those emotions were ingrained into us from millennia of evolution, since groups that help one another are more likely to survive. The point is that avoiding these feelings of guilt is a powerful motivation, but it's still about how I will feel if I help someone.