4. Egoism versus altruism:
the theory of the warm glow and the helping hand
The previous chapters addressed the issue of honesty at work (the experiment with the
bagels) and the extent to which people have an innate appreciation of helpfulness (the
experiment with the moving igures on the wooden board). But valuing helpfulness is not the
same as being helpful, helping another when needed, even when you don’t get anything out
of it or it comes at a cost. Does altruism really exist?
According to Abraham Lincoln, who makes his second and last appearance in this book here,
pure altruism does not exist. One day Lincoln was riding in a coach, in heated discussion with
a fellow passenger on the question as to whether helping another is really altruistic. Lincoln
argued that helping can always be traced back to one’s own interests, whereas the fellow
passenger maintained that there is such a thing as true altruism. Suddenly the men were
interrupted by the squeal of a pig trying to rescue her piglets from drowning. Lincoln ordered
the coach to stop, jumped out, ran to the stream, grabbed the piglets and set them safely on the
bank. Back in the coach his fellow passenger said, ‘Well now, Abe, where’s the selishness in
this incident?’ ‘The reason for my action is a good question,’ Lincoln replied. ‘That was the very
essence of selishness. I should have no peace of mind all day had I gone and left that suffering
old sow worrying over those pigs. I did it for my own peace of mind. Do you understand?’
According to Lincoln, self-interest always plays a role, even when we help others. Pure
altruism does not exist, only enlightened self-interest. We help one another in order to achieve
peace of mind, to soothe our consciences, or to feel good about ourselves. In the literature
this is called the ‘warm glow theory’. Economist James Andreoni came up with this term at
the end of the eighties in relation to philanthropy to emphasize, more than was thought at the
time, the importance of internal motives for donating to good causes. People give money to
a good cause not only to support that cause, but also because of the glow they get from the
idea of being helpful. People help others to become better themselves, even if ‘becoming
better’ is purely a warm fuzzy feeling. All kinds of studies support this hypothesis: people who
help others feel better, happier, and healthier. In fact, the reverse is also the case: people who
feel good are more willing to help others.
4. Egoism versus altruism: the theory of the warm glow and the helping hand
