I think every human do "good"because they're selfish. If I make someone else feel good, that I really truly want to feel good, it's for my own good feeling I'm doing it. In principle. I mean..I guess we can be truly altruistic for our children or close family. But that's also to protect our genes and something we've invested ALOT into. Not only material things and time, but love and protection. To take the step and get a child means you will (in most cases) love that child more than you love yourself. That's a big deal. You've gone out on a limb so to speak to love someone that much. To lose that person would destroy you.

(That was a digression about altruism..back to topic)

I really want to see the smiles on a childs face when he gets a nice present for christmas, or the shock on a poor person's face when he or she receives a large sum of money that could help them.

The reason I want that is because I know their feelings. I know how they feel. I think most people know how that feels. Unless you're born into immense wealth, we all know, at least we can empethize on how it would be to be poor.

You just know that donating to a poor child would just make his world. And that makes you feel great, because you mirror his feelings. We all do that all the time. We like to feel feelings.

Sometimes though, it's not good to give. To give money to the heroin addict family member is probably not a good thing. Or to loan money to the irresponsible guy or gal who just wastes it on garbage instead of paying the bills. If you keep giving them, they never learn.

So we have to define good every time we make decisions. Should I help this person in this or that way? Why should I help that person? Does he deserve help? Is the time he requires of me to help him, more important than my time doing something else? I mean..for me, the most important person in MY life, is ME (except my child)

So, charity is actually, in my opinion often doing more harm than good. It rarely solves the real problems, but like medicine, it deals with the symptoms (poverty or lack of money)

Doesn't mean one shouldnt do it, but it must be an act of selfishness in my opinion, to be truly good. To be altruistic goes against every fibre in our bodies. So if you're true to yourself and you know that you're doing this for YOUR own feelings primarilly, then sure. :)