Thats the spirit!!

[iaineasy]

Had a claw taken out of our cats eye today at the vets in Herne hill, and for no reason other than he could, a really nice guy called Mike who was there with his cats, offered us a lift home!! That's the community spirit that we moved to East Dulwich for! I often throw in little extras on jobs I am doing for nothing, because its nice for the community,BOOM karma insurance pays off! There are few enough areas in london where you get that feeling of belonging to a genuinely nice community `so thanks Mike and for the rest of you forumites pay up the karma insurance its good for us all and makes Dulwich a nice place!!

hugs as ever

[Ted Max]

If self-interested altruism drives up the total sum of happiness, does it matter that good is done only in expectation of reward?

Essays in by Friday, please, the reading list will be in your pigeonholes as you leave.

[HonaloochieB]

That's all very well and glad you got some payback and all, but back up there a little.

Just what the dickens happened that necessitated removing a claw from its eye?

[candj]

Hope Karma goes around for that other cat!

[*Bob*]

HonaloochieB Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just what the dickens happened that necessitated

> removing a claw from its eye?

Iain's cat shat on a park bench not so long back.

Feline karma.

[Santerme]

Paying it forward is not a good way to go through life.

[HAL9000]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> self-interested altruism

That looks like an oxymoron to me. Have I missed something?

[iaineasy]

self interested altruism?? haha no I'm just stating that if you are altruistic it comes back I wasn't asking for expecting it! If your cynical that comes back too. The cat shat on the bench no doubt, but I'm not sure cats have karma ar dogs have dogma either come to think of it......

[PeckhamRose]

Thought this was an alcohol related thread. Sorry.

But just have to add, motorcyclists often stop for one another when we come across someone broken down.

It's a nice thing. And I'm off to take Spacey to the vets tomorrow on the back of the motorcycle. Wish us well!

Hope your cat's ok now!

[thexwinglessxbird]

That's nice to hear...

The whole claw in eye thing is pretty gross though :))

...Poor kittie.

[brum]

I'm all for community spirit and helping each other out, not for any reason other than because its a nice thing to do. In these days of saturation media coverage of anything bad that happens, doesn't it make you feel better about your 'lot' if people around you show kindness and generosity? In this vein, I want to repeat my offer to help anyone in our community on fire safety precautions in their home. If it's on the forum, or chat, or a visit to advise you about smoke alarms, not a problem, just get in touch.

[sophiesofa]

Ian you always seem sooo happy on here - it's impressive.

[Mick Mac]

No - its depressing.

Hugs.

[iaineasy]

:))

mic mack I like your vibe!!

by the way whispy muesli buckets II seems in much better form since she got the claw out of her eye and is now taking bookings for conversational japanese lessons from anyone thats interested!!

[RosieH]

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ted Max Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > self-interested altruism

>

> That looks like an oxymoron to me. Have I missed

> something?

Think you have Hal - I think Ted's post speaks for itself.

Karma schmarma - be nice to people because you can and it's the right thing to do.

[Sue]

HonaloochieB Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That's all very well and glad you got some payback

> and all, but back up there a little.

> Just what the dickens happened that necessitated

> removing a claw from its eye?

xxxxxx

I want to know this too, and still no answer :))

[HAL9000]

Ha! That'll teach me to read the whole thread before posting!

*Doffs hat to Ted's clever paradox-posing skills*

[PeckhamRose]

... breakfast ate whilst catching up on EDF. Now attempting to catch cat for her motorcycle trip to vets.

May need help, people! (Don't worry, it's not cruel, even the vet told me. She HATES cars so why spend money on a taxi when she can hate being on the bike for a lot less time?!)

[Ted Max]

I think Ted's post speaks for itself.

Karma schmarma - be nice to people because you can and it's the right thing to do.

Thanks for the defence, RosieH. Of course, true altruism as you describe it is often seen as desirable - but is it achievable? For instance there are those who think that even acts of kindness that appear selfless may in fact be done because they make the person doing them feel good about themselves. But does that matter?

A philisophy of enlightened self interest (to use a less paradoxical and more common term!) can often lead to an increase in overall happiness, as well as a payback for the good doer.

It has particular relevance in business today - what is CSR if not enlightened self-interest? Is it better that companies act greener, more socially responsibly? Yes. Does it matter that they do so because, to use the hackneyed phrase, they hope to do well by doing good? I'm not so sure.

Iain's "pay up the karma insurance its good for us all and makes Dulwich a nice place!!" is as good an expression of enlightened self interest as any I have seen. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. In fact it may be that it is the least harmful and most achievable balance between egotism and altruism.

I hope all the cats related to this thread are OK.

[annaj]

All very eloquent Ted, but wasn't this covered in a episode of Friends years ago when Joey told Phoebe there was no such thing as a selfless good deed?

[Brendan]

RosieH Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Karma shawarma...

Fucking hippies! Give ?em an inch and they try to sell you a falafel.

[Atila Reincarnate]

And the moral of the story is treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. Here endeth the lesson. Amen

[Ted Max]

annaj, I doff my cap to your greater knowledge of Joey's utilitarian ethics. I shall add Friends to the reading list.

Atila, what if you are a miserable sod who likes getting nothing better than a good punch up? Does that mean you can treat others in the same way?

[Brendan]

Indeed. Where would our generation be if we hadn?t had 10 seasons of Friends to help calibrate our moral compasses?

[Ted Max]

I find myself more attracted to the explication of Kantian practical reason in Hollyoaks. But I see what you're saying.