The concept of altruism doesn't mean "hey, as a side effect, people are better off". The inventor of Teflon isn't altruistic because people have better frying pans these days.
Altruism is doing something where the balance is for the betterment of others, and costs you in some form, such as time (and it is also not atruistic to donate someone else's resources). But that cost does not have to be suffering.
Ultimately, the core of altruism is really whether you're primarily doing -foo- for yourself, or for the benefit of others.
Altruism is doing something where the balance is for the betterment of others, and costs you in some form, such as time (and it is also not atruistic to donate someone else's resources). But that cost does not have to be suffering.
Ultimately, the core of altruism is really whether you're primarily doing -foo- for yourself, or for the benefit of others.