Aristotle claims that “one gets far more out of giving than receiving”; therefore, the truly self-serving person gives of him/herself to others. To be self-serving, one must make virtuous decisions. One must first love oneself (in a self-serving manner) before one can truly love another; a common example of this is Scrooge. Once he loved himself, he was able to help others and give to them just for the satisfaction of giving, and received so much more in return (the inherent reward of giving that is). These individuals develop friendships; Aristotle claims that “a friend is another self”. When someone is helping other people to live good lives, that person is really helping themself.
Erich Fromm gives a very good example and points out that love is primarily giving and not receiving. He says that giving is the highest expression of potency, and in the act of giving he experiences his “strength, wealth, and power”, which fills him …show more content…
He is claiming that the very act of giving (being compassionate, respectful ...) is inherently valuable and rewarding; the very act of giving is good in and of itself, and is humanly satisfying and productive. There is a clear difference between “getting something of value from the recipient of one’s giving in return for one’s giving” and “the inherent value one receives from the mere giving of one’s talents, skills, knowledge, … to another”. The former is not what Aristotle is claiming; it is such a reason for giving by one who is not truly self-serving. On the other hand, the latter is exactly what Aristotle’s argument is saying. This inherent value that one receives is the feeling of joy and power, and is from the very act of giving, regardless of whether one receives something from the recipient or others in
Erich Fromm gives a very good example and points out that love is primarily giving and not receiving. He says that giving is the highest expression of potency, and in the act of giving he experiences his “strength, wealth, and power”, which fills him …show more content…
He is claiming that the very act of giving (being compassionate, respectful ...) is inherently valuable and rewarding; the very act of giving is good in and of itself, and is humanly satisfying and productive. There is a clear difference between “getting something of value from the recipient of one’s giving in return for one’s giving” and “the inherent value one receives from the mere giving of one’s talents, skills, knowledge, … to another”. The former is not what Aristotle is claiming; it is such a reason for giving by one who is not truly self-serving. On the other hand, the latter is exactly what Aristotle’s argument is saying. This inherent value that one receives is the feeling of joy and power, and is from the very act of giving, regardless of whether one receives something from the recipient or others in