Do you like altruism?

[lovely_darlingprettybaby]

I have heard this before but it completely destroys the concept of gift giving. It's very sad when a gift makes people think of debt. It's supposed to be something positive, a fun surprise. I know it's just the way it is, but it's sad. I have insulted and put people in debt many times then. Darnit.

I see it that way too, giving a gift is fun to see the person's face
But I also love receiving gifts when they are meaningful and fun.
I live gift giving and giving lavish gifts to my loved ones.

 

[NDR2]

Making other people happy certainly makes me happy. It feels good to help people and donate money to charitable organizations (but there are so many of them). My belief in animal rights is reflected in my lifestyle, as I don’t eat or wear anything made from animals, and only buy products that aren’t tested on animals. I’m also environmentally conscious and I recycle waste and try to buy used things as much as possible. So I definitely think it’s good to be altruistic. This certainly dispels the myth that people on the spectrum lack empathy.

Volunteering at organizations can be another way to show altruism. However, it can also create issues for me. The people at the organization may want me to do the kinds of things I have trouble with; like talking to people, organizing things, or taking a leading role in the organization. If I said I didn’t want to do something, they may get annoyed. They may say I don’t care about the cause because of that. If I were to try doing those things anyway and then messed up, they might get angry, and say, “If you cared about the cause you’d give it your all.”

Also, if I did fail in my actions I would feel a little guilty. I’d feel like I let people down – particularly those I was trying to help. So I guess being altruistic feels best when I know I can’t fail.