Doing good sincerely is much more complicated than doing so while preserving one’s own interest first and foremost. In this way, someone often receives the “interested” label when the person’s good intention benefits them personally.
An otherwise legitimate interest, even if misunderstood by a significant element of differentiation: the person: he is accused not only of joining the cause for his own benefit, but also of doing so only when that benefit exists.
- This type of behavior.
- Which we often notice too late.
- Has more to do with intelligence or selfishness than with kindness.
- Solidarity or abandonment.
- It is not the same to be good as to be intelligent.
- But in some contexts the two are confused: the second characteristic Can be camouflaged with the first and.
- In this way.
- Ends up being wrong.
- Moreover.
- When this happens.
- We may even be disappointed and sad.
- Because we had created an expectation of the other that does not correspond to reality.
Based on the above, it is worth saying that as soon as someone helps us, we are glad to think that the person has adopted this attitude because they really care what we need; However, when we discover that the action is taken in our own interest, we immediately tend to decrease its value, even if the profit generated in both cases is the same.
The damage occurs because we realize the true motivations of the supposed act of kindness: if the individual good is at the center of the actions and strategies that are used to achieve something, that person probably acts for his own benefit and not out of solidarity.
In this case that is fine, but that has been guided by intelligence, has some selfish nuance, since your person and your goals are at the center of your actions, at this point that possible altruism and concern for the other are in the background, as we will see later.
If on one side of the coin is the cunning tinged with selfishness, on the other is altruism, it is the essential nuance that defines goodness, above all, the altruistic person is dedicated to others, cares for them and above all is solidarity and dedicated.
This is because those who are good and act on this idea do their actions seeking not to hurt anyone, and abandon their own interests if they want to hurt someone else. Altruism constantly seeks the good of others, without thinking about what it can. be received in return: do good without looking at whom.
It is obvious that self-love is indispensable, but an altruistic person maintains firm limits: it is not a question of showing selflessness for oneself, but of understanding that goodness arises from a free and voluntary act that seeks to help others. People.
We can define this form of help with interest as the artificial ability to achieve any goal, that is, interest is not bad because it moves us, the problem is to use this movement to manipulate and enjoy others.
On the other hand, among the qualities of a good person are those we have already mentioned, and we can add more, for example, someone who is kind is kind to people who need it and those who do not, do favors to those who need it and to whom he owes nothing, give way in line to someone who is in a hurry even without having an interest in it.
Finally, and above all, we must not forget that by performing acts of benevolence voluntarily and without interest, we transmit values of empathy and humanity, creating a sense of full satisfaction among those who do so.