Altruism. What is it and why is it a necessary part of animal societies? I have taught courses that included animal behavior during most of my teaching career. You’d be surprised at the altruism that takes place in non-human, animal societies. Vampire bats share food (yes, blood) with each other, vervet monkeys shriek alarm calls to warn other monkeys of danger, and honey bees scout nectar sources to make it easier for the rest of the hive to find food. Altruismy is simply doing something that benefits someone else at a cost to yourself. Why do animals do this? First of all, the benefit to the other animal is almost always greater than the cost to themselves.
Beside that, there are 2 factors that could influence altruism: helping out a relative or the possibility of reciprocity. The “favor” could either be directly “returned” or passed on within the society.
Sound familiar? Doing a favor for a friend or relative is pretty common-and expected. You scratch each other’s back, so to speak. But there are a few (hopefully more than a few) special people out there who do “too many favors”, always going above and beyond They may be described as “too nice”. I would argue that there is no “too nice”. The world needs them. When you encounter them, please don’t take advantage of their kindness. Ask them how they are, and wait for an answer. Smile at them. Be kind back.
