altruism

altruismi Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; selflessness; contrasted with egoism or selfishness.
(quote-book)|chapter=16
1995, George E. Vaillant, The Wisdom of the Ego, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=4XaHuwBBTyEC&pg=PA68&dq=%22altruism%22%7C%22altruisms%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5wTmUoOfHsilkQXY1oDACQ&redir_esc=yv=onepage&q=%22altruism%22%7C%22altruisms%22&f=false page 68,

Altruism allows doing for others as one would be done by. Unlike reaction formation, which also gives to the object what the self desires, altruism leaves the self at least partly gratified. Unlike reaction formation, altruism tempers asceticism with pleasure. Unlike passive aggression and martyrdom, altruism allows the object to feel blessed and not afflicted. Altruism attracts people to the user; martyrdom repels them even as it holds them close in chains.

Altruism is a behaviour of an individual that benefits another at its own expense.(..)She decided to investigate what motivates ants to undertake these dangerous missions, where they risk getting trapped themselves or, worse, eaten by predatory antlion larvae, which dig pits and lurk, semi-concealed, at the bottom with their jaws wide open. Such apparently selfless rescue behaviour is seen by many as one of the purest forms of altruism.(..)Being nice to relatives is not pure altruism because they share your genes so, by helping them, you promote your own genetic heritage.