The Internet as an Example of the Human Altruistic Gene

The Internet is full of human altruism; it is a great example of the altruistic gene that made humanity extraordinary.

There is widespread belief that humans are basically selfish; that they are only concerned with their own interests, and that competition is what drives the world.

But if you really want to appreciate how altruistic and empathetic the human race is, just look online.

There is a tremendous amount of information that is free and the people who offer it for free do it because they care about others.

If you have a health question, a problem with your computer, a relationship question, you can ask on the internet, and you will find many people who are happy to help you solve your problem. They don't do it for money; they don't even do it for recognition; they use screen names rather than their real names; they will help you even though they don't know you and they know that you will never return the favor.

Why do they do it? Just because it feels good for them to know that they have helped someone else. This tendency to feel good about helping others is embedded in our genes at a group level. It varies from person to person, just as aggression and selfishness varies from person to person. But at a group level there is so much of both. I tend to presume that there is more altruism among humans than aggression.

I am often touched when I have a problem or a question that is troubling me, and I get help from a total stranger.

There are millions of people who blog about their experience and offer their knowledge. Some of them make money off of it, but the vast majority of people do not make any money. In fact, they pay money to set up their blogs and websites. They write about their experiences and opinions in the hope that someone out there among the billions who live on this earth will benefit and relate to it.

People post user reviews on amazon.com, epinions.com, and other websites about products they have bought, allowing others who are thinking of buying them to get a sense of the pros and cons. Sometimes these reviews are carefully detailed.

Reviewers are not paid to write about how satisfied or unsatisfied they are with a product. What is it that makes them want to share their experience with others? It is the instinct of altruism. People feel good when they feel they have benefited others.

It has even come to a point where free user generated content, such as Wikipedia, is more viable than commercial sources such as Microsoft Encarta when has been discontinued.

There are people who give carefully presented video reviews and demonstrations on Youtube for such things as writing a check, peeling a potato, putting on makeup, tying a tie, setting up a website, creating an animation in Adobe Photoshop, playing the guitar, giving a speech, repairing your car, and virtually anything you can think of.

It is the altruistic gene that has made humanity so great. It has allowed the species to advance exponentially. Altruism towards other group-members improves the overall fitness of the group, which is why it was selected.