Humans cannot bare to see others suffer, so humans help those in pain. If a person sees a sad commercial about childhood hunger, that person would be inclined to donate money because he or she feels bad for the children. Adam Smith also believes people are innately altruistic because humans feel pity and compassion for others. For example, in the The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith explains that people are altruistic because of the empathy people feel when when they “see or think about a man being tortured on the rack (Smith 1).” People think of “enduring the same torment, entering into his body (so to speak) and becoming in a way the same person as he is (Smith 1).” When people see a person get hurt, they feel that same pain, so they feel pity or compassion for that person. Although humans can be altruistic at times, I still maintain that humans are innately self-centered. When humans see others in pain, they often feel some of that pain, though it is less intense. While humans may feel for the misery of others, it does not necessarily mean that humans will help the person in pain. Humans rarely give to those that are less fortunate and when they do, it is usually to make others like them. Humans know that if they give to the less fortunate, than they can manipulate other people to like and admire them. For example, celebrities often donate money to charities to make people admire them. Humans will only help others if it benefits
Humans cannot bare to see others suffer, so humans help those in pain. If a person sees a sad commercial about childhood hunger, that person would be inclined to donate money because he or she feels bad for the children. Adam Smith also believes people are innately altruistic because humans feel pity and compassion for others. For example, in the The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith explains that people are altruistic because of the empathy people feel when when they “see or think about a man being tortured on the rack (Smith 1).” People think of “enduring the same torment, entering into his body (so to speak) and becoming in a way the same person as he is (Smith 1).” When people see a person get hurt, they feel that same pain, so they feel pity or compassion for that person. Although humans can be altruistic at times, I still maintain that humans are innately self-centered. When humans see others in pain, they often feel some of that pain, though it is less intense. While humans may feel for the misery of others, it does not necessarily mean that humans will help the person in pain. Humans rarely give to those that are less fortunate and when they do, it is usually to make others like them. Humans know that if they give to the less fortunate, than they can manipulate other people to like and admire them. For example, celebrities often donate money to charities to make people admire them. Humans will only help others if it benefits