Altruism and Prosocial Behavior, Essay Example

In Recent years, human behaviors involving interaction between strangers have become difficult in term of kin or reciprocal altruism. This aspect tends to encourage cooperation with others and punish those who violate the norm of cooperation at personal cost, even when it is impossible to expert that this cost be repaid.

Altruism as an expression, concerns other people’s welfare without any benefit or inspiration on the part of the individual articulating the concern. It is also referred to an act of Kindness or expression of concern which does not carry material benefit. Altruistic behavior, on the other hand, is the traits that increase fitness of other individuals while reducing the survival of the individual with the trait.

Someone behaves altruistically when he exhibits certain traits this comes automatically, as many psychologists hypothesize no such thing as true altruism exists, but only reciprocal altruism. According to this theory every act of altruism expects reward that would offset the risk currently incurred. For example, by running into a burning house to save a life of a stranger, this is being altruistic. The person will be reducing his chances of living by taking the risk of going into the house, while he increases the chance of survival of the stranger as he could be able to save his life. The theory elaborates that, individuals perform such acts with expectations of others doing the same to save the lives of their own genetic kindred at some point in time.

Egoistic behaviors are actions of social elements that are motivated by self-interested asset gain, while in altruistic behavior are motivated by benefit of others, in cases of war soldiers sacrifice their live in favor of the nation – altruistic, but the nation can obtain gain at the expense of the soldiers’ sacrifice. In social organization point of view, behavior that seems to be irrational at one social layer becomes perfectly rational at an upper organizational layer.

In conclusion, it is common to lend a hand to others in time of need, and it is natural to expect someone to do the same too, when u are in such circumstance. It is easier for someone to jump into a river, to save a stranger, with no selfish need attached to it.

References

Gintis, H et al. (2003). Explaining altruistic behavior in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24 (2003) 153-172.