Does altruism really exist?

Altruism-acts of being selfless. I learned the word last year in Mr. Pereira's class. Just a few days, ago, someone asked me if I thought it existed.

But of course...what else explains things like donations? Mission trips?

This Rocklin alumni told me it did not exist. He's a psychology major in college and explained that people are always motivated to do something in their self-interest.

This is where we started thinking. In the midst of blaring music began a deep, thoughtful discussion.

I was with one of my best friends, her boyfriend, and a friend of a friend (the alumni). My friend, currently an AP Pysch student, thought about it while her boyfriend and I remembered learning from AP Econ this year that rational people do things in their own self-interest.

Sure, some people volunteer just for the sake of their college apps. And some people donate for tax-write offs.

But what about people who give just to give? Do they do it because they want to experience that joyful feeling of giving? Can someone give just to help people out when there is no effect on them? I'm going to be thinking about this a lot during the holiday season...