The concept of altruism is used in normal situations to refer to selflessness. It involves the idea or practice that is more concerned with the welfare of other people than personal welfare. Altruism, in many cultural and religious contexts, is referred to as a virtue even though the concept and practice varies from one cultural context to another. An altruistic individual is a person who sacrifices for someone other than himself without expectation of any compensation or benefit. Such a person may sacrifice his or her time, energy, and resources to others without receiving any kind of recognition for his or her act of giving. Therefore, under normal circumstances, an altruistic person is the opposite of a selfish person. On the other hand, the idea of reciprocity occurs when it can be beneficial to help other people only if there is a chance that those people will reciprocate. The idea of reciprocity uses the tit-for-tat strategy. Therefore, the issue that arises in these two scenarios is whether people tend to lean towards altruism or reciprocity. This compels us to ask the following question: Are people reciprocal or altruistic?.
The Notion of Altruism.
Several debates and studies exist as to whether it is possible to have true altruistic people in real life situation. According to the theory of psychological egoism, no act of sharing, sacrificing, or helping can be referred to as true altruistic (Vander, 2008). This is because the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in return, which can be in the form of personal fulfillment. However, the truth in such argument depends on whether the said intrinsic reward qualifies as a benefit. According an ethical doctrine, the term altruism may be used to refer to the fact that people are obliged to benefit from other people. When used in this context, the idea of altruism contrast with egoism, which refers to an individual's act meant to benefit one's self.
