Discussion of Whether Altruism Really Exists

Altruism is a type of helping behaviour, largely it involves of helping someone without any expectation of compensation or mutual benefit for the action. Even, helping others may cause us stand at a high risk or even it would bring us some disadvantages result, but still willing to promote someone else’s welfare surely (Cambridge Dictionary). In other word altruism also means as selflessness or unselfishness.

Based on my opinion, true altruism is existing in our life. On Jan. 2, 2007, a 50-year-old man named Wesley Autrey jumped down onto the tracks of a New York City subway platform as a train was approaching to save a man who had suffered a seizure and fallen. The moment Mr. Autrey lay on him and pressing the man down in a space that around a foot deep only (3 Jan 2017, Cara Buckley). Before the train stopped, there were 5 cars rolled overhead Mr. Autrey and the man and the cars passing inches from their head. We could imagine that the action of Mr. Autrey is very dangerous and risky. Once his missed would lead him to dead. Mr. Autrey put himself at a high risk. But why he did it? He could look with a folded arms but why he decided to rescue the man even the man just only a stranger. Besides that, Mr. Autrey, he was rejected medical help because he said he just want to help someone who is in trouble, he just did the right things what he felt so, he did not need any praise and honor from them. Mr. Autrey action was strongly prove that altruism is existing in our life.

Therefore, donating organs also one of the purely altruism act (The opinion of Emily Strassburger). There is almost 114,000 people are waiting transplant, one more person is added in every 10 minutes and there are 20 people dying on average per day because of no organs are available (American Transplant Foundation). Everyone will die one day, it is better to donate the organs to save other lives than wasting them so, this is the reason why some people is willing to donate their organs to ease someone else’s pain. A 21-year-old young man suffered in brain damaged after a car accident. His family agrees to donate his organs to other patients who is in need of transplant around the country. The young man donated 5 organs in total, and saved 6 lives. At first the young man’s mother does not give her consent to donate his organs but his father and others family members tried to persuade her. The young man father said that however his son was gone, but his life can exist in a second through the donation of organs. From his father’s words, it really gives me a shock, because this is not easy to make this choice and not everyone could accept donating organs after dead. From the father’s word, it proves that purely altruism is really existing in our daily life.