This quote by W. Beran Wolfe posted on a friend’s new blog caught my eye:
If we want to know what happiness is we must seek it, not as if it were a part of gold at the end of the rainbow, but among human beings who are living richly and fully the good life. If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double Dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar gold button that has rolled under the cupboard in his bed room. He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living 24 crowded hours of the day.
The passage goes on to suggest that a philosophy of constructive altruism be pursued as a means to a satisfying and happy life. Among the philosophy and religious texts, I think it is common to find mainly a discussion of the altruistic giving up of yourself for a greater good. The alternative is the capitalistic, self-centered, and objectivist approach. I think constructive altruism though, may have a firm foundation in two domains, within both the ants and the Lubavitchers. We frequently discuss the evolution of altruism in species such as ants and bees, but almost always with a cringe or a bite of the tongue. This is because 100% pure altruism (where there are benefits to a second individual but only costs to the first) is so hard to reconcile within the framework of natural selection. Once we can put aside the syntax limitations of altruism though, we are free to recognize that acts that may seem altruistic are in fact often quite helpful all around. When this observation is combined with the fact that often the individuals involved are related, there is no more obstacle to this pattern of behavior evolving within natural selection. Which is good since the ants are among some of the most ecologically dominant species on this planet! With regard to constructive altruism, the Lubavitchers seem to have caught on too. Other religious individuals are content to spend their whole day immersed in Torah study without interruption and without action. But Lubavitchers live a life of outreach, based on a pillar of strength in their families, community, and Rebbe. Individuals that sacrifice some of their time for study to go out and embrace the world, share a smile, lend a helping hand, and make possible the most brilliant mitzvot; these individuals truly embrace the created world and in so doing honor its creation.
