The standard way of thinking about altruism has it that people are most likely unselfish towards others, including strangers. People who are selfish and greedy are most likely not altruistic. They don 't show any sympathy for anybody, they only care about themselves. For instance, they don’t worry about the homeless, or anybody who are dying. In her nonfiction book, Opening Skinner’s box, Lauren Slater, a psychologist and a writer, mentions, “There were thirty-eight witnesses in all, watching from their windows as a woman was stabbed and snuffed. Only when it was all over did one of them call the police, but by then she was dead.” In other words, people who heard the incident did absolutely nothing because each and one of them thought that somebody else would have called the police instead. If any of those thirty-eight people who turned on their lights, and called the police or just anybody for help, maybe the lady would have gotten a chance to live. If one person becomes altruistic there 's a chance that people around them can be altruistic as well. It is proven that it’s a contagious trait. Giving is also a way to show altruism. In her historical fiction, The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah, an author, mentions, “She went into the house and packed them some bread and raw carrots and small bits of cheese.” In other words, Vianne, one of the main characters of the book, sacrificed and gave these people food because they were starving from the invasion of the Nazi’s. Vianne knew that she will be short in food, since the Germans stole the food of the community. These people were strangers, however, Vianne was thoughtful enough to provide food for them. Today in our country, there are many homeless people because of being jobless, family disputes, divorce, etc. According to “Department of Housing and Urban Development” the count of the homeless is 633,782 across the United States. From my experience, when I encounter some …show more content…
In her article, “Of altruism, Heroism and Evolution 's Gifts” Natalie Angier, an author, claims, “Altruism and heroism. If not for these twin radiant badges of our humanity, there would be no us, and we know it.” In other words, humans can not construct things on our own. In Fact, in today’s generation, our country is one of the strongest countries in the world. Americans tend to help one another when we are in need. For example, When an elderly is ready to pay, usually an employee will escort the elderly to their car and help them carry their groceries in their car. In our lives, we tend to at least have the need to ask for help once in our