Developing Usable Experiences

Beyond the dualism of Altruism

January 31st, 2008 7:35 am —  146 views

inside_worker.jpg

This research paper we read did an experiment where they asked kids to draw for them. Some kids were promised a reward for their drawings. They found that, in general, the quality of the drawings from the kids who were promised reward was of lesser quality than those who were drawing simply because they were inclined (for their own internal reasons) to draw anyway.

A person takes little provoking to do something they are inclined to do anyway. Personal inclination, by its very nature, takes into a huge number of circumstantial consideration known only to that person.

But the idea that the promise of a reward can reduce the quality of that for which the reward is linked…well…isn’t that a little confusing? Besides having too many words in that sentence, the notion that reward can affect quality (implying negatively) gave me pause and fueled this weeks musings on motivation.

Another subject that came up during discussion and review of the journal articles we read, was that of altruism. Discussion among the class quickly ferreted out the double-sided blade of altruism:

a) Altruism focuses on a motivation to help others or a want to do good without reward

b) While people can exhibit altruistic behavior, they cannot have altruistic motivations1.

Buddhism seems to have this idea that if you don’t have anything else to do, you might as well work toward helping others. Particular Buddhist lineage calls this the goal of one who aspires to become Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. What this seems to be saying is that some people are motivated to selfishly pursue an unselfish goal to help others avoid the perils of their selfishness2?

Delayed gratification entered the picture here. From a cosmic sense, helping others seems to be considered worthwhile3. So even though there is no expectation, there is still some expectation? Seems a slippery slope of reasoning doesn’t it?

What I’m thinking is that any wording which references a one-or-the-other4 involves recognizing that some thing or event is one-or-the-other. The instant you settle on one side, you have to hold that line in place. Holding your line on something can make it tough to let go, and not letting go is no different than being attached to something. There it is again. That idea of attachment, the root of our suffering, the stake of all our reasons, the mast upon which we raise the sails of our defined selves5.

But we aren’t sailboats. We’re not even separate waves in this ocean. The ocean is one wave. A Bose-Einstein Condensate actually. Maybe the same thing as a singularity?6

Waltzing Bear: ha. own that shix.
Spike: yeah. great line.
Waltzing Bear: i just love sayin it.
Spike: cause you own it man. you oWn that shix!

Image: Took this of some workers involved with building the new wing of a museum that I walk near on my way to the garage where I park. It was crazy windy and bitter cold. I wondered if it was warmer in there.

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  1. Lots of this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism [↩]
  2. Not really a zen koan is it? [↩]
  3. I’d say karma if you want. But that word has exploded meaning so lets avoid for now. [↩]
  4. good/bad, positive/negative, wholesome/unwholesome [↩]
  5. I considered adding, “to forever sail the seas of suffering” but then I threw up. [↩]
  6. Still not entirely sure I’m down with what this really means. The word has come up in sci-fi books I read and I’ve seen it elsewhere online. [↩]

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2 Comments 

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2 Responses to “Beyond the dualism of Altruism”

  1. Dawn on January 31st, 2008 9:42 am

    And sometimes personal inclination occurs for reasons NOT KNOWN to the person, but which are vague and not throughly understood.

  2. Spike on November 12th, 2009 11:00 pm

    Inspired by the phrase, this was born: http://www.ownthatshix.com.

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