Altruism

Altruism is behavior that exemplifies a lack of selfishness. In its purest form altruism is an act of true kindness to the fullest degree such as giving your life for another person (Santrock 16). Although people are seldom altruistic in our society today, it is one quality of true human kindness. Without altruism humans would just be another species, altruistic actions truly separate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. According to Darwin, behaviors that favor reproducing are much more likely to be passed on from generation to generation, much more so than altruistic acts (Santrock 16). Well, this only makes sense because if a human leapt out in front of a speeding bullet, most likely that human would no longer reproduce in order to give its offspring their genetic trait of altruism. Although, altruism isn’t necessarily a genetic trait, as Darwin had seemed to believe, it is one that can be taught as well. If our culture would implement altruism more so, our society would be less self oriented.
Although you don’t hear about many acts of altruism in our society today there is always a few moments when you were completely selfless, and I remember my first encounter of altruism. I actually acted in an altruistic fashion. When I was younger I remember my parent’s friend’s daughter was swimming in our pool. Even though I didn’t like this little girl, when I noticed she wasn’t coming up for air I jumped right in after her. I was struggling to pull her and I both up to the surface and I remember at one point I thought I was going to drown with her. I never once thought of myself when going in after her, I remember that day as if it were yesterday and I know at that moment I had not even an ounce of selfishness in me. To me that is a pure act of altruism, for a little girl to jump in after someone she didn’t like and barely knew knowing that she could barely swim herself.