Entry 78: Risk for a Reason

People who save strangers must be a lot less than the people who look after themselves, otherwise we wouldn't hear stories about those heroic actions as they are regarded as noble. Altruism is certainly rare. When one is in danger, the normal thing to do would be to protect him or herself, at least to most people. Most of the time altruism happens when one person is saving another who is related to that person. It makes sense because, biologically all living things want to preserve their genes. It is natural for us to save others who share the same genes as us. Nevertheless, true altruism does exist. I've heard stories about people who risked their lives to help the Jews during World War I, even if they were not Jewish. I don't really know how people put others' safety ahead of his/her own. Maybe I'm just too selfish to understand. As for me...well, to be honest, I think I would look after myself first. I'm just too much of a coward to help someone in the midst of danger. If a person puts him or herself in stupid danger deliberately, I of course would be less willing to help him/her. I would care more for victims of natural disasters and other disasters that those people didn't foolishly put themselves into.