Most people are busy trying to free their children, spouse, and immediate family, even if it means sacrificing others’ freedom to do it.

This is a nice cover-story because it's endlessly plausible. We don't know the circumstances of your life. If you say you're struggling just to get by with your family, we have no choice but to believe you.

And yet, in this industry–and especially in this forum–I know many are following an ideology that values success only at another's expense, and not in collaboration with others. In a game theoretical sense, defectors.

There's more than one way to feed your family.

>Most people are busy trying to free their children, spouse, and immediate family

what you're basically saying is that most people are primarily concerned with their communities. that's true and it's not even unreasonable but what's also true is that the communities of most people in positions of power are not marginalized/precarious.

I think referring to your direct offspring as "the community" is a bit disingenuous.

i don't get your point. are the direct offspring of a wealthy person more at risk or less at risk than that wealthy person's community?

I'm not suggesting either, just that hoarding resources for your immediate family does not sound as altruistic or venerable as hoarding resources for "your community."

but i'm not advocating for this? in effect i agree with you. i'm exactly pointing out that it's disingenuous to say that someone is protecting their family and that it does end up being just greed.

I never tried to indicate that I was disagreeing with you

i think a lot about this (more than i think about my research). i wholeheartedly agree not because i feel obligated but simply because i'm able to - my life is not precarious (it used to be) and others' lives are. i've argued it from many perspectives (pragmatism, morals, etc) but the simple truth is i'm pained by the fact that other people are living hopeless and miserable lives. so i help and give and sacrifice because i can and it's the only thing i can do.

unfortunately most people simply don't care. maybe they're lucky for that but there's a sartre quotation that comes to mind (i think it's from no exit): the only pain you could've avoided was being ignorant of others' pain.

edit: sorry i was wrong it was kafka

"You can hold yourself back from the sufferings of the world, that is something you are free to do and it accords with your nature, but perhaps this very holding back is the one suffering you could avoid."

The fact that you are acknowledging what you are feeling about others when they are in a miserable situation and the empathy that you show to them is a gift.

You don't need to research about this more! Just try to do what you can do to others :)

If you help others' you help yourself.

Brilliant quote - going to use it in the future.