Selfish genes actually explain altruistic individuals, and to me that's crystal-clear.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I think we all have a selfish gene which rises to the top, sometimes. But then we're also all capable of a sudden magnanimity.
Animals have genes for altruism, and those genes have been selected in the evolution of many creatures because of the advantage they confer for the continuing survival of the species.
Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.
We are selfish when we are exclusively or predominantly concerned with the good for ourselves. We are altruistic when we are exclusively or predominantly concerned with the good of others.
Altruism is innate, but it's not instinctual. Everybody's wired for it, but a switch has to be flipped.
Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race.
Being selfish to me means that you have to look out for yourself and you don't have to sacrifice.
We found evolution will punish you if you're selfish and mean. For a short time and against a specific set of opponents, some selfish organisms may come out ahead. But selfishness isn't evolutionarily sustainable.
This idea of selfishness as a virtue, as opposed to generosity: That, to me, is unnatural.
One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could hurt you - and Darwin posited that it might be rooted in maternal instinct, in sacrificing yourself for your children.