Claim No act is done purely for the benefit of others Reason All actions even those that seem to be done for other people are based on self interest

As humans, it is in our best interests to further our own self interests. We believe that we are complex creatures which are capable of higher level reasoning above the other creatures in the world. However, at heart, we are still concerned with our own survival, just as every other organism on the planet. While in some cases it may be true that we act purely for the benefit of others, overall our superficially selfless acts serve deeper, selfish purposes.
One prime example is the act of donating. While this act may seem to be the epitome of selflessness, it can be viewed from a somewhat selfish perspective. While some people may donate simply out of the goodness of their hearts, many donate out of guilt. They may donate because they are reminded of how often they take for granted the fact that they live a comfortable life and the means to donate but may often neglect to do so. Or they may have insecurities about themselves or their past actions which they believe can be rectified or forgiven through such a selfless and generous act as donating goods or services. Once they complete the act, they may feel a self satisfying sense of relief and pride for “doing the right thing.” Of course, this phenomenon may not be universal as some individuals may in fact donate out of pure generosity, but the commonality of the outlined behavior and psychology is enough to consider the fact that donating may not be entirely selfless.
Similarly, gift giving may not always be entirely to benefit the recipient of a gift. Often times, when someone gives a gift, they are not entirely thinking of the other person. For example, giving someone a gift such as a TV which the giver well knows they may share the use of. Another example could be paying for a vacation or a trip for the recipient, which the giver shamelessly invites themselves on. While this argument may seem somewhat simplistic, it is well accepted that many individuals exhibit this type of behavior. Clearly, even in the spirit of giving to friends or family individuals may not completely abandon their own self interests.
However, there is one example of a circumstance which cannot be misconstrued as selfish. For a soldier, giving your own life is near impossible to view in a selfish light. After this final act of selflessness, the individual is no longer alive to reap any egocentric benefits of such an act. In the heat of the moment, sacrificing your life to preserve someone else’s is certainly done out of compassion for the other person, and not for self satisfaction. Times like these of ultimate sacrifice are examples of complete selflessness.
Ultimately, though, there are still more actions done out of selfishness than complete selflessness. One final example would be the adoption of a child. While such an arduous task of rescuing a child from life in an orphanage and committing to raise them into adulthood may seem to be done only for the benefit of the child, there may still be a self-satisfying undertone. As hopeful parents, a couple may be finding it difficult to have a child on their own, leading them to adopt a child. Thus, the act of adoption is not done to fulfill the desire of giving a helpless child a home, but to fulfill the couple’s desire of being parents. Of course, there is no harm in fulfilling both of these desires simultaneously, however for this reason adoption is just another example of how a generous act can serve a deeper purpose.
To exist on this earth as a living creature is to obey the same biological tendencies as other creatures. Central to these tendencies is the concern for self preservation. While humans may believe to act out of selflessness such as giving their lives for others, there are many times when this is not true, such as in donating, gift giving, and adoption.