The Japanese have this term “intoku (陰徳)” which roughly translates to good deeds done in secret. What are some examples of intoku in your own life? Doesn’t matter even if it’s something minor like picking up trash.

  • Reading through these, some seem self- serving in a way, although still good deeds.

    I was going to say that I write a bunch of OSS, but that’s mostly selfish since I use everything I write. It’s the “scratching the itch.” I will rarely write something that I have no intention of using myself. The most selfless aspect of this is that there are a few distributions that I also maintain the packages for - again, for stuff I write, and a couple of them are not distros I use. But when I introspect about this, am I doing it in the true spirit of intoku, or am I secretly hoping this will encourage others to use my software and thereby increase my mana? Is it ultimately self-serving?

    I snow-plow the sidewalk in front of my house; the HOA requires it, so although I’d do it anyway, I get no karma. I also plow in front of my neighbor’s house, so that he doesn’t have to if he’s not feeling it. I suppose that counts, although he knows who’s going it. OTOH, I used to do the neighbor’s sidewalk on the other side, but after two years and not a single recognition or “thanks,” I stopped. So I guess it’s not true intoku after all.

    I pick up trash and bin it when walking through the city if it’s convenient - even that’s because it makes my experience nicer. Plus, there’s the tiny dopamine reward of doing the right thing that can’t be discounted.

    Nope. I can’t think of a single, truly selfless thing I do that isn’t in some way self-serving.

    • Opinionhaver@feddit.ukOP
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      8 days ago

      I doubt that a truly selfless act of charity exists. Even if you’re just giving money away anonymously you’re still probably feeling good about it and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. That’s not really what my question was about.