Altruism
al·tru·ism (ltr-zm)
n.
1. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.
2. Zoology Instinctive behavior that is detrimental to the individual but favors the survival or spread of that individual's genes, as by benefiting its relatives.

Have you experienced Altruism through your own actions toward other humans or animals? Or have you seen Altruism in action from another person or animal?

Altruism is most often seen in times of emergency or necessity, as a passing stranger, or guardian angel. Also, Altruism manifests with the modern concept of "Pay It Forward".

Altruism is without ego, pride, self, greed, or agenda.

Personally, Altruism came to me one early Christmas morning years ago. A friend and I were returning home from celebrating Christmas with another friend. We saw in the dark what looked like a fire. To our horror, as we got closer, we found it to be a farm house on fire. We instantly raced to the dirt road and briefly stopped to tell neighbor farm house occupants to call the fire department, then we raced to the burning farm house. No lights, doors and windows locked, but the upstairs was ablaze. My friend went to the back and I went to the front door. After banging on the front door for it seemed an eternity, I saw a figure approaching the door from inside. "Hallelujah", I said to myself. An older woman opened the door and she appeared to have been sound asleep. As soon as the door opened, a rush of thick, black smoke came out of the door into my face and I began to violently choke. The sleepy woman didn't appear to know what was going on, why I was at the door, or even that her house was on fire. I chockingly yelled to her over the noise of the fire and the chocking black smoke, " YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE, ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE IN THE HOUSE"? She loudly replied back, "MY HUSBAND AND OUR DOG ARE UPSTAIRS ASLEEP". She started to go back into the thick dark cloud of smoke and I grabbed her arm, knowing that if she disappeared to go back upstairs, I would not see her again. The woman yanked her arm away from my grasp and disappeared within the smoke. And I immediately thought that she, her husband and dog would all die. And if I go and follow her that I would die, too. So I ran to the back of the farm house to find another way inside to save them. Instead, I found my friend holding the back door open and all three occupants came lumbering out the back door, singed, choking but alive. We all layed down in the side pasture away from the farm house while we choked and caught our breath. We waited for the fire department to arrive. Once the fire department came, my friend and I quickly left.

My friend and I realized we were guardian angels for one brief moment in time. Had we not been driving home out in the country at that moment, those folks and their beloved dog would have died in the acrid smoke and fire. So, Altruism manifests in different ways. My friend and I had no forethought of seeking recognition, reward, acknowledgement, accolade, or any manner of praise for helping these three individuals. We just went into action and our action, out of necessity, saved lives. This is just one example of Altruism at work.

So, do any of y'all have stories to tell of Altruism?