An Altruistic Doubt

Maybe I am self-righteous. Maybe I am just a heathen. Maybe, just maybe, I am frightened by the consequences of being wrong.

Religion, polytheism, atheism, agnosticism – these are philosophies by which billions of people over thousands of years have lived, guided, and ended their lives believing. Do I need a reason why I find myself engrossed in such an epic cosmic debate of humanity's beginning and the speculations of our future?

Of course, you are wondering what such a debate has to do with my myth. Well, not much. In fact, according to the research I have collected during this project, religious affiliation has nearly nothing to do with one's altruistic nature. But then, what does?

I chose this myth for two reasons; I find great importance in pursuing a more accurate idea of where I came from, where I am, and where we all may likely be headed. Whether or not some people find religion archaic and outdated, much of human history lays intertwined with humanity's ideas of spirituality and the divine. It is a source of much insight into the psychology of our past.

The second reason is simple; the coercive nature of both religion and human nature captivate me. This myth originally caught my eye because it would require me to look into the deep personal motives that drive actions of an individual that, to others, appear quite the opposite. I began this project quite certain that all human actions were done for the benefit of the individual. So, in other words, I was attracted to this myth because I thought it would uncover to me the phenomenon of altruism – the embodiment of genuine selfless action.