The Act of Altruism - Research Paper Example

 The Act of Altruism Introduction What is it that drives individuals offer their time, energy, and money to help others, even when they do not get anything tangible in return? Altruism is a belief in acting for others good: The belief that acting for the benefit of others is right and good (Encarta, 2010). Everyday life overflows with minute acts of altruism, from the person at a restaurant who pays bills for a couple she has never met, to the lady who buys a homeless guy some fast foods, gives him money and a sleeping bag.

In other words, we “pay it forward”. In this paper we shall discuss the act of altruism under the following:- Comparison Both personal and professional responsibilities of altruism aim to benefit the society at large. In codependency, you help others while anticipating the same from them and in social responsibility you feel obliged to help out without expecting any favor back. Application of Altruism of psychology Psychological principles were designed to promote and sustain a better quality of life and help individuals prosper.

Psychological theories were designed to assist and relieve human difficulty and alleviate suffering and not for personal profit. Altruistic act is the foundation behind psychological values. Altruism improving human condition Altruism act promotes pay forward syndrome, whereby those who have been assisted are inspired to help others (Berkowitz & Daniels, 1964). Those who benefit from the act of altruism may later help others. Therefore, it is justified to say the act of altruism has no boundaries.

Personal and professional responsibilities related to altruism It is the sole responsibility of any able person to practice altruistic behavior when an opportunity presents. All professionals should provide service to the less privileged and maintain their highest standards of professional practice. (Plate, 2011) The future of psychology The future of psychology depends on service to others and the devotion to assist others by its masters.

The professionals in this field should act selflessly and provide services to their clients before attending to their own personal agendas.Humans need strong, responsible and committed people, whose ambition is to transform the path of human existence. Individual and professional responsibility will change the human shape, thus the future of psychology is dependent on the selfless behavior of its masters. Conclusion For anyone to say that altruism plays an admirable role in human life depends on what is meant by selflessness.

If one means helping deeds, or helping to gain self benefits such as admiration or to avoid guilt, the existence of altruism cannot be doubted. Does man have the heart to value other people's welfare? Indeed man has the capacity to value another person's welfare. ReferencesBerkowitz, L., & Daniels, L. R. (1964). Affecting the salience of the social responsibility norm: effects of past help on the response to dependency relationships. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 68(3), 275-281. doi: 10.1037/h0040164Plant, T. G. (2011).

Contemporary clinical psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons