Assuming the individual that gives their life up for someone else is not suicidal or religious; I think that sacrificing oneself for someone else would have to be a selfless act. The person that dies will never receive the praise or pride that comes from sacrificing themselves as they are not around to achieve it. Someone who is suicidal would receive the death that they want without the social stigma killing them-selves might attach to their families so they get something out of it. Religious people might feel that their act will get them into heaven and so do so in part for the reward after death. In many cases the sort of situation where someone would have to give their life up to another would be split second. They would not have the time to reason through why they were doing it and this would mean they could not think through what it would do for them. This would mean it was likely altruistic. Also, if an atheist sacrificed themselves for someone else, they would believe everything for them was gone as their consciousness dies with them. This would make it a very big sacrifice without personal gain. Someone could give up their life for someone else without realizing they were going to die. They could, for example, donate a kidney and die during surgery. Most people donate an organ for a family member they do not want to lose, so that makes it less than completely selfless. People may have some personal reasons for doing things like donating a kidney that are not completely altruistic, but they are risking their health for the sake of someone else. These people are close to altruism on a scale that has selfishness on one end and altruism on the other. While it is nearly impossible to be completely altruistic we should respect and admire those who come close.
Should one strive to be altruistic or is it alright for people to maintain selfish qualities?
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