A Donation

Altruism can come in many forms, monetary donations being one of the most common. In this scenario, I will call into question the motives and precieved selflessness of donations.

I was recently confronted with a dilemma in which I felt called to make a donation to an organization. The organization was one in need, and one who’s mission I supported; the decision to donate was easy enough. In this scenario I was practicing what seemed to be altruistic behavior. I was giving money to a group of people who needed it, and with that money came no call for gratitude or a returned favor. I was sacrificing my eared income for the betterment of others... A quintessential act of altruism.

Altruism is not that simple however, as my emotions in this situation caused for the apparent selflessness of the act to be invalidated.

When writing the check and accompanying letter for this donation, I couldn’t help but sense a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction for what I was doing. I was helping people in need. I was practicing the difficult task of sacrificing my income. I was giving a gift that I knew the receivers would appreciate. Similar to volunteering, I had an unavoidable feeling of fulfillment from what I had done. In the end I felt as if my altruistic act was no longer selfless or magnanimous, instead it was self-serving and acquisitive. I realized that my donation was partly given to serve the donor (me) and not the receiver. If my act of charity would have been purely altruistic than my own welfare and happiness shouldn’t have even been an afterthought.

This scenario points to the fact that an act of altruism often has unavoidable selfish motives, motives that make us appear compassionate when we are really being egocentric.

JW