Selfless Love

Why do people do good deeds? Are they being selfless or is there something else going on? Psychological egoists believe that everything we do we do because it somehow benefits us. It might seem like you're being the good guy, but that’s all just an illusion. Apparently, deep down, we are nothing but selfish.
Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.
From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.
This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.

[@D13GOR]

Honour for the soldier, people care about how they are going to be remembered

[@DrDimonds]

I, personally, wouldn't say everything we do is to benefit us but that everything we do is still for us. There is not selfless love because everything we do is for ourselves. The person who risked the disease to save the child/the soldier who died for his squad did it because they wanted to. They wanted to be a hero or would be ashamed if they let the child/squad die. These are still very great acts but are always for the self in some way.

[@maggiesnyder3720]

OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD TO NARRATE THIS THEY CHOSE AIDAN TURNER

[@atomixfang]

Baby, don't hurt me Don't hurt me no more

[@madeiwanindrawanjendra]

"selfless love" is only beautiful words

[@vininim1]

I thought, from reading The Selfish Gene, that Dawkins do believe in altruism. Because the genes are selfish, not the individual. And "altruism genes" did guaranteed communities to survive.

[@robertwoods3462]

Genes are what make up the self. your point is mute.

[@roryclark2673]

Genes don’t ‘make up the self’, they provide the programme for building brains, which arguably are selves. But the genes that provide the programme for building one brain are, by descent, the same that provide the programme for building genetic relatives brains. Owing to this, it can be adaptive for brains (selves) to act altruistically towards genetic relatives, NOT in their own self interest, but in the interest of the selfish genes that built them. Also, I think you meant ‘moot’, not ‘mute’.

[@hermanessences]

Selfless love is a contradiction. To say "I love you, you must first be able to say the 'I'."

[@royroymcboii2679]

Unless you speak from the third person

[@VijayRana-qg2gz]

Credits ~ Ayn Rand

[@dalirkosimov2576]

"you are loved"

[@nirorit]

r/I'm 12 and this is deep.

[@goranarh]

The soldier dying for the squad is just his avoidance of the trauma that would surely dawn upon him if he realized that he's responsible for the death of his fellow fighters. There's just one way to avoid the trauma, and that's to prevent the deaths of others. Even the threat of self-harm and death can't dissuade someone's egotism.

[@gewamser]

we so identify with our comrades in arms, or a sick child, that in effect the instinct for self preservation is overcome by the need to save "ourselves"...it's that simple.

[@Donteatacowman]

Yes and no - in a previous video ("Know Thyself") we discussed how people don't know all of the reasons behind their own actions. I love "genetics" being thrown out there like it is part of the argument and not an argument against it. If genetics and reflexes make us perform altruism in a scenario when we would not benefit - then something other than self-benefit is a core component of moral reasoning, ya sillies. You did anticipate my first counterarguments re: self-sacrifice.

[@markmorgan6741]

While I agree with this video I also feel that we can do things for others because it makes us feel good. Not necessarily getting us something other than our own or others pleasure.

[@FreudaliciousMind]

Terrific video; I like how it proves there really is something, we call altruism. But raises the question...

[@ILoveABBA12]

OMFG one section of the TOEFL exam I recently did was about this! lol

[@mirhussain6042]

Plz plz make videos on Antonio gramschi and Hannah arendt.PlzPlzPlz

[@rhemachristian4463]

"Christian acts of love" firstly we don't go to heaven for the deeds we do, we aren't justified by our works in world. Our good works are like rotten rages because yess humanity ( most ppl ) seek their benefit. We do acts of love out of love for people whom God loved first regardless of all sins. We don't do it as a deed required to go to heaven. Going to heaven isn't a qualification or assignment that we do something and we get the results. When the almighty God lives in you, his love is poured out through you, in mist of people who need it, in mist of people who seek it. We simply love God's creation. And mankind is one of his creation. Once again I'll tell we love because God loved first. And we do things out of love and compassion. Not greed and want. And no offense to anyone. But please don't display something that you aren't sure of. It creates confusion and also misleads😇

[@Acta-nonVerba]

That,s how it looks from EGOIST,s side . period

[@IdoGenesio]

We love because God has already love us first.

[@OverLordGoldDragon]

Leading. Biased. Not objective. Disliked.