Free Will | Forum

I do find it interesting you label the thread Free Will and then write about altruism.

I find the application of an altruistic act often can only be fully explained by the person taking the action and then it is at the mercy of what they would divulge. Normally it is in the explanation of the motive that we find if it is actually altruistic. Anyone just watching the act is limited to what they see at the time and some may have a little information from before the act.

So,,, the question “Can a Satanist feel altruism to another”? YES,,, but it does depend on who's version of the grater good!

I've since discovered that's not the case. Altruism is fundamentally a vicarious act. 

Yes,,, and it is also subject to the interpretation of the onlooker.

Quote from Shawn @nikey and nith: I used to claim that altruism was essentially a conceptual phantom with no basis in reality. At the time I thought there was only rational self-interest and the only difference was whether or not someone was honest about it (including self-deception).

I've since discovered that's not the case. Altruism is fundamentally a vicarious act. 

I like to use altruism along side of the art of war concept “under cover of broad daylight”. So some might actually have altruistic tendencies but to others it becomes a tool and a pretty good one at that.

" People generally feel obliged to return favors offered to them. This trait is embodied in all human cultures and is one of the human characteristics that allow us to live as a society.

Compliance professionals often play on this trait by offering a small gift to potential customers. Studies have shown that even if the gift is unwanted, it will influence the recipient to reciprocate.

A variation on this theme is to ask for a particularly big favor. (door-in-the-face technique) When this is turned down, a smaller favor is asked for. This is likely to be successful because a concession on one side (the down-scaling of the favor) will be reciprocated by a concession by the other party (agreement to the smaller favor)."

Using reciprocation disguised as altrusim is a tool of the psychic vampire. The psychic vampire 'indebts' someone to them and actively prevents their victim from paying them back so they can get much more by extracting  much more from reciprocation out of the back end, through passive aggression.

I fully understand the “gift demands a gift returned” ideal and often go to extremes to avoid it. I boycotted birthdays and holidays to distance myself from the cultural spending spree. On the other hand with people I respect we often have a give and take balance. Things can get weird if that balance becomes one sided though.

I do know many of the compliance base skills and am not above using them myself. Though some of them are part of the psychic vampire tool set, there are also others that can be used in everyday events without much effort.

The small favour that leads to larger ones, I am aware of and watch for carefully. Most people that are good at this know to start small and build a trust factor before heading to the larger ones. It pays to cut these people off early if you find too many ties forming.

“Using reciprocation disguised as altruism is a tool of the psychic vampire”. Yes it can be but it is also used in common everyday actions. I often use politeness as a gauge to see the reactions in others and also find it good as a disarming tool in some conversations. Often putting forth the polite front has some people reciprocate or at lest become less aggressive.

Here is a quote I have used a few times:

The less I care, the more polite I can be. The more polite I am, the more people think I care.