Mutually Beneficial
In researching altruism, it is hard to find a definition for the middle ground between Altruism and its antonym, Selfishness.
I am going to say that it is Mutual Benefit. It is Exchange.
Altruism is great ... but I believe the lyrics are
"just to love and be loved in return."
Today, I inadvertently received some interesting news. Let's just call it a conundrum, perhaps a double edged sword....which reminds me of a song:
Although I first heard Nat King Cole do this song, I find this version by Bowie to be absolutely the most powerful yet of the simplest song ever:
And just to drive it home, here is another version.
A most enchanting and magically urban version, that for me artistically personifies the weirdness that is my any day:
Welcome to my World.
Related Reading:
altruism is key
I am going to say that it is Mutual Benefit. It is Exchange.
Altruism is great ... but I believe the lyrics are
"just to love and be loved in return."
Today, I inadvertently received some interesting news. Let's just call it a conundrum, perhaps a double edged sword....which reminds me of a song:
Although I first heard Nat King Cole do this song, I find this version by Bowie to be absolutely the most powerful yet of the simplest song ever:
And just to drive it home, here is another version.
A most enchanting and magically urban version, that for me artistically personifies the weirdness that is my any day:
Welcome to my World.
Related Reading:
altruism is key
posted by blog revisited at
3:30 PM
.JPG)
2 Comments:
I'd argue with you about exchange...Oh I could go on for paragraphs, but a friend of mine was recently talking about the idea of eliminating "Needs" from the lexicon of human emotions, the idea being that it makes for a mechanistic worldview, and turns people into things. Frequnetly beneficial or kind actions can satisfy the doer as much as the receiver, therefore no sort of quid pro quo is needed. It's a matter of making something and asserting oneself as part of the web of being.
Dear Art Sparker,
No need to argue! We are on the same page.
I find that definitions of phrases have many meanings - some of which we forget over time, or which change depending on the context.
I totally understand what you are saying on many points, so allow me to engage:
Need: yes, I agree. However, it is a basic part of survival and goes hand-in-hand with asserting your self as you mention later. It is different than Want, and is very caveman. I Need to Eat. True. I Need to Sleep. True. I Need to Make Art. True.
Mutually Beneficial:
To clarify -- the type of mutually beneficial I refer to IS Very different than quid pro quo (which is a bit more tit for tat, or you scratch my back I will scratch yours).
What you mention,
"kind actions can satisfy the doer as much as the receiver" is indeed a Mutually Beneficial organic exchange between the maker and the viewer.
And that is what I mean and there is how we agree again.
It is important to me that not only I expel my Needs into my work (feelings and thoughts), but that the viewer also learns something about their feelings or thoughts.
As artists, if we exhibit our work for others to see, then it is important for us to address our sense of place and the roles we play collectively...
Yes, working from a sharing, kind place, a caring, educating, compassionate place is key.
Thus the action between altruism and selfishness.
Post a Comment
<< Home