Altruism In The Prairie Dog

There he sits. Back stiff as a metal rod, mouth agape as a piercing screaming pushes itself up his throat and out into the vast grasslands around him. The prairie dog has sensed danger, and altruistic instinct tells him to sacrifice himself for the continuation of his family. This seems to contradict instinctual habit as we typically think of it, the instinct to keep oneself alive. Instead of running for his life, the prairie dog presents himself to the predator to insure the survival of his colony. He acts with no emotion, no moral judgment, and no sense of heroism. He becomes the prey, distracting the predator 's attention away from the prairie dog 's family. The colony hears the squeaky scream, warning them of danger, and they are given sufficient time to escape. This prairie dog is an example of altruism in it 's truest sense; he acts completely selflessly in the service of others. The act of altruism is the “Principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others” (“Altruism”) and this concpet not only applies to animal instinct, but to human behavior as well. Altruism originates from the french word altruisme. It also derives from the Latin word altrui. Both of these roots translate to “other”. The idea of altruism presented “Nineteenth-century thinkers with a controversial new

Loving others does not mean that we should forget ourselves. When I say that we should be compassionate, this does not mean helping others at the expense of ourselves. Not at all. Sometimes I say that the buddhas and bodhisattvas are the most selfish of all. Why? Because by cultivating altruism they achieve ultimate happiness...The selfishness of the buddhas and bodhisattvas is functional and efficient. It allows them not only to achieve awakening, but also the capacity to help others. That is really worthwhile. For me, this proves that to create maximum happiness for oneself, one needs to develop