Does true Altruism matter?
Is it good enough to do the right thing for the wrong reason?
I like to believe that people are truly good. That most people want to think they are a good person.
However, I also believe that our reasons for doing good are rarely truly selfless, truly altruistic.
Alturism [noun]
The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Today, I’m watching protests sweep across the country. Individuals and organizations are making public statements about their outrage regarding the death of George Floyd. It’s the right thing to do. Black lives matter. But Black lives mattered two weeks ago as well, when it wasn’t headlining mainstream media. The drive to do good is strong. But the social drive — the desire to do what you think others want — is even stronger.
We are good. But we aren’t entirely altruistic.
Does that even matter? Is doing the right thing for the wrong reason good enough.
If a man donates 10 million dollars to a hospital because he wants the new wing to be named after him, is that really a bad thing? If a company donates food to starving children in third-world countries for the good publicity, isn’t that still a good deed?
In the eyes of patients, healthcare workers, and children, I doubt the reasons really matter. Lives are getting saved, good is being done, even if the motives so are not so altruistic.
If people waited until they had purely unselfish reasons to do something, very few good things would happen in the world. So isn’t the point just to do it?
Look at social media. In the past week, millions of Americans who were previously quiet in their thoughts on racial equality, are suddenly tagging #RIPGeorgeFloyd and #BlackLivesMatter. It’s great. The goal is to be empowered, to be inspired, to no longer be scared to speak out.
But I can’t help to wonder if this widespread outrage is prompted by the tragic current events, or if the big motivator is the urge to join a crowd. Are you retweeting because you truly want to make a difference or because you want to be a part of that socio-political movement that all your friends are joining?
Does it matter? For better or for worse, social media cares about your actions, not your intentions. If millions of companies, influencers and teenagers post the same message against discrimination, people will pay attention. It’s the right thing to do.
But you know what else is the right thing to do? Asking the hard questions. Looking within the culture of your organization. Addressing the pay gap and the discrimination that is not explicit, but likely present.
Yet we choose the route of social media because it’s easy and it’s safe. It puts us on the side of the “morally right” without disrupting what is not already broken.
Don’t get me wrong — the positive impact of a trending hashtag is immense. But it is worth mentioning that announcements are a cry for action, not action itself. When we add fuel to the flame, we delude ourselves into thinking that we have done enough, even if we have the ability to do the burning ourselves (side note: I am not promoting arson).
That’s the problem that arises when our actions are not supported by the right motives. We do the easiest thing that will do good and instead of the hard thing that will do the greatest good.
Obviously, in an ideal world, we would make selfless decisions. We would do the right things, for the right reasons. But the reality is that altruism is rarely the driving force for the “good” things in the world. And even if the reason isn’t ideal, more often than not, doing good is better than not doing good.
I have a strong opinion on practically everything. However, I cannot tell you if doing the right thing for the wrong reason is good.
But when I look at everything wrong in the world and everything that needs to be fixed, I can’t help thinking that sometimes you don’t have to be perfectly selfless. Sometimes it’s good enough to do it anyways.
But just don’t delude yourself into thinking you couldn’t be doing more.
