Essay 1 - about the work of a military plant during the war.
Usually human life passes without much upheaval and incident. Small misfortunes happen to a person, sometimes small joys fall to him - in general, he lives more or less measuredly, obeying the rules and customs established in society. But in the life of not one person, but entire tribes, peoples and states, there are periods when they have to exist in a rather unusual environment. Moreover, this situation is unusual most often from a negative side for a person. Famine, wars, droughts, revolutions... What should you do if such a misfortune happened to your country, tribe or nationality? The issue of actions to be taken in extreme circumstances is also discussed in Granin's text.
The text tells about the work of a tank plant that produces KV tanks in Chelyabinsk under the leadership of a certain Zaltsman during the Great Patriotic War. Specifically, the working conditions at the plant and episodes from its history are considered. The above conditions were difficult: the frost reached minus forty, due to the need to warm up the engines, the air in it was heavily polluted. Saltzman somehow drove the ventilation specialists away, giving them a day to solve the problem and threatening that if they didn’t meet, he would lock them in the shop and start all the engines until they died. The author notes that it was this severe condition that helped to ensure that the ventilation was adjusted, and proceeds to describe another episode. The plant worked very hard, especially during the battle for Moscow. Since, according to Stalin, who called him, the fate of Moscow depended on the Salzman tanks, the workers, including many old people and children of pre-conscription age, did not leave the factory for five days. As a result, three echelons of the tank went to Moscow, and later the fourth went: Zaltsman forced the chief engineer Gutin to fly after the radio equipment stuck somewhere with the train, despite the fact that it was not known exactly where the echelon was and how to get to it. Nevertheless, Saltzman rejected all objections with the words: “There are no impossible things!” Judging by the words of the author from the final paragraph, such methods used by factory directors were the norm during the war, although they were condemned after the war.
Knowing Granin's attitude towards Zaltsman - and he, apparently, treated him very respectfully - one can formulate the author's position. It, apparently, lies in the fact that an unusually difficult situation requires non-standard, even harsh methods of getting out of it. Sometimes even the suffering of people for the sake of achieving a result is justified by the result of their work.
It is difficult to argue with Granin, since in such extraordinary situations one has to make a choice between the bad - overstrain, overwork, injury and even death of people at work, and the very bad - in this case, the victory of the enemy. You can't let difficulties break you. When you try to act in inhuman conditions with human methods, you are very likely to fail, although few will condemn you for it.
As an illustration of the conclusions, it would be nice to start with some excerpt from a work about the Great Patriotic War, since it is the war that is one of the most critical situations that, in principle, a person can get into. In addition, this approach provides a certain continuity with Granin's text. Of the many possible works, I would consider Polevoy's The Tale of a Real Man, or rather, a certain Vasily Vasilyevich and other staff of the Moscow clinic where Meresyev was treated. This clinic was famous, with established traditions, with a high level of patient care. The war could not but affect her: the number of sick and wounded, as well as beds for them, increased significantly. The latter sometimes had to be put out in the corridor. In an extremely tense environment, the tired clinic staff, led by their boss, managed to maintain the same quality of patient care and more or less pre-war procedures. Why did they succeed? Because Vasily Vasilyevich, working furiously himself, did not allow others to relax, believing that right now, during the war, the hospital should have the most strict order. He did not accept any excuses from work and did not refuse it himself. Perhaps if the doctors, sisters and other employees of the hospital had worked less intensively, they would have looked better, healthier. But the price of this would be the life and health of the defenders of the Motherland, including the protagonist.
Of course, the heads of factories, hospitals, and other logistics agencies are not the only people on earth who make important choices in terrible conditions. Moreover, not only in war, people have to make superhuman efforts to help themselves and others get out of a difficult situation. It was precisely such efforts, in the literal sense, that Danko from Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil" had to undertake. To begin with, he turned out to be the only strong-willed person in the tribe to offer to look for a way out of the forests and swamps, despite all the threatening dangers. It wasn't that the other members of his tribe were especially weak-willed, just that they were overwhelmed by a terrible life without a sky above their heads, with poisonous fumes that they had to inhale, and a terrifying roar of the wind. One way or another, Danko led them. The tribe, exhausted from fatigue along the way, losing people, began to grumble at Danko, and then even threatened to kill him. His explanations did nothing to improve the situation. Then, realizing that they would die without his help, Danko decided to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, and, tearing out his heart, burning like a torch, from his chest, illuminating their path, he led them further and led them out into the open space, where he soon fell dead with a smile on your lips. Had he taken some other decision, he would have died anyway, and so he at least saved his fellow tribesmen, who, alas, did not appreciate his feat.
It can be seen from the examples given that unusual difficulties do require unusual measures to be taken to overcome them. But remember, trying some of these methods in a calm environment is very likely to be ineffective. They can even worsen the situation, which should not be allowed. After all, almost every method has its limitations and disadvantages.
Essay 2 - about the children of war.
Children are our future. A lot depends on how they grow up, which is why parents pay so much attention to their upbringing. It is easy to explain to children what good and evil are in ordinary life, but war changes everything. It is difficult to say how the children of the war will grow up, who have been deprived of their childhood and brought down on them by the fear and horror of battles, which not all adults can endure. In his text, the author raises the problem of the impact of war on children.
At the beginning of the text, the narrator talks about the children who were brought from Leningrad by train. Everyone on the platform knew what the blockade of Leningrad was, and at first no one reacted to the announcement of their arrival. But people began to stop and look at them, despite the fact that they saw a lot in the war. The narrator notes that all the children were different, but they had one thing in common: they were children of war. These two words are absolutely unnatural and express the most destructive essence of war. But the main thing is that the children survived and bring people hope for the future. Apparently, when all the children were dropped off, they went somewhere after the woman, and the narrator compared them to a living stream, in which, according to him, there was an inextricable connection with their neighbors. The narrator ends his text with a question about the future of these children, which remains unanswered.
According to A. Pristavkin, the brought children looked very pitiful, but it did not matter, because they were alive and gave hope for rebirth: ; children saved and carried out of the fatal flame, and this meant rebirth and hope for the future, without which these people, also different on the platform, could not go on living.” In addition, the author believes that they had one common distinguishing feature: their behavior: “... which was expressed in how they behaved towards each other and towards adults, how they stood, how they held hands, lined up in a column ... ”, - the author described it with one expression “children of war”.
I cannot but agree with the opinion of the author. Children in the war are extremely hard. They are forced to grow up ahead of time and do things that are unusual for children. At the same time, they are the future and hope of our country, so adults should protect them, try to protect them at least a little from the horror that war brings with it.
The work of L. Kassil "The Story of the Absent" is a vivid example, confirming the position of the author. The action takes place in wartime. The Germans cut off a small military unit from the main army, and it fell into a trap. It was impossible to get out without preliminary reconnaissance. One of the soldiers volunteered himself and went. He was walking through a ravine in which he saw a child. The soldier found out that the boy had been watching the Germans all day and knew all their positions. They were about to climb out of the ravine and return to the rest, but a mine exploded next to them, and the soldier's leg was injured. They heard that the Germans were coming towards them, then the boy, without hesitation, got out of the ravine and went towards the enemy. He ran along the road in the other direction to distract the Germans from the wounded soldier. The child was shot, but the fighter returned to his own and led the entire unit out of the forest through the ravine, so that not a single person died. This boy, whose name has remained unknown, saved an entire military unit with his heroic deed. The child accomplished a feat that is beyond the power of every adult - this suggests that the war forced him to grow up ahead of time. An innocent child gave his life for the lives of other soldiers and other children.
Another example is the story of L. Kassil "Marks of Rimma Lebedeva". The village where Rimma and her mother lived was close to the front line, so they moved to the city with their aunt. Rimma went to school, but her aunt did not let her study properly, arguing that she was almost at war and now she should not overexert herself. At first, the girl resisted, but then she herself began to tell everyone that they had not been at war, they did not know how it was, and stopped studying. There was a hospital next to the school where children went to help the wounded. Rimma made it with her own hands and brought one of the soldiers a pouch, which looked more like a mitten. The wounded man asked Rimma to write a letter, but the girl wrote very illiterately, and the soldier did not like it. He decided to write letters to her every day and teach her literacy. At the end of the quarter, Rimma brought him a report card with grades, in which it was "excellent" for the Russian language. The war could be an excuse not to get an education. She changed Rimma's attitude towards the people around her: she looked down on them, because her classmates were not at war. She was lucky that the soldier intervened and helped her become more literate. But it is easy to imagine how many children could not gain knowledge during the war, because they had to fight not for grades, but for life.
In conclusion, I want to say that war never brings anything good with it. Children who grew up during the war years are very different from the rest, because they did not have a childhood. Someone did not get an education, someone did not get parental love, someone just had to fight for their life every day - all this changes consciousness, and it is very important to try to explain to such children what is bad in this world and what - good.
Essay 3 - about chamomile.
Human life has always been strongly dependent on nature. Despite the fact that now humanity has achieved great results in its development, it is still an inseparable part of it. In his text, the author raises the problem of the responsibility of generations to their descendants for the conservation of nature.
Yu. Yakovlev's text tells how children found an unusual flower near their house. At first they asked their parents about him, but they did not give an answer. Neighbors came, looked at it, and everyone had their own version of the appearance of the flower, but no one could say for sure. Then everyone remembered their grandmother and decided to turn to her. The author says that people now know about the time in which she lived only from books. She gave the answer: it was a camomile. Grandmother said that before there were a lot of these flowers, but they were plucked all in a row, and they were gone. The text ends with a statement from the grandmother, who accuses her generation of not saving the dearest flower of our land. Modern children do not know about its existence. Yakovlev ended his text with such sad words, in order for the reader to think about the fact that each of our actions has its own consequences that our descendants will feel.
According to the author, chamomile is the most native flower of our land: "From childhood to old age, a small sun with white rays shone on a person." Yu. Yakovlev believes that previous generations are to blame for the modern ones for not treating nature carefully, and because of this, some plant species have not survived to this day: “We are to blame for you, children! Did not save the chamomile. The most native flower of our land was not saved, and it became alien to you, like an alien.
The work of R. Bradbury "Smile" describes the events of the future. Mankind survived the war, as a result of which the entire civilization disappeared, and people returned to the traditional way of life. Not only the achievements of science suffered, but also nature and the environment: the roads were like a saw, up and down, from the bombings, the fields glowed at night from radiation. It is difficult to say what harm this war did to the environment, but, of course, children born after these terrible events saw a completely different world. All this happened due to the fact that someone did not share something. People in the past acted irresponsibly and selfishly, and the consequences have to be dealt with by the younger generations, who inherited only a tiny part of the natural wealth.
Another example confirming the words of the author is the work of A.P. Chekhov "The Cherry Orchard". The estate of the landowner Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya had a huge cherry orchard, which was the pride and just a favorite place of the Ranevsky family. Unfortunately, the beautiful garden was soon to be sold for debt. Lyubov Andreevna always overspent money, and for the last five years she lived abroad and did not look after the estate. Ranevskaya receives a proposal to cut down the garden and give the land for summer cottages in order to avoid selling the estate. Lyubov Andreevna is horrified by this offer, and she refuses it. It turns out that she does not want to cut down the garden, but she allowed to bring it to such a state. Gaev, Ranevskaya's brother, is trying to make some plans to save the garden, he even asks an aunt from Yaroslavl for money, but all in vain. It was already too late, and on the twenty-second of August, on the day of the auction, the estate was sold to Lopakhin, who had previously persuaded Ranevskaya to cut down the garden. So he was going to do after his purchase. Thus, the family did not preserve this wonderful garden for future generations. Due to the negligence of the Ranevsky family, no one else will be able to admire it, walk between the trees and pick cherries. Descendants learn about him only from stories.
In conclusion, I want to say that nature undoubtedly plays a key role in human life. People must understand that nature is very fragile, and we must protect it not only for ourselves, but also for our children, for the sake of the future of all mankind.
Essay 4 is about animals.
Pets have always been people's friends. Therefore, they deserve proper treatment. Despite the fact that a person has great power over domestic animals, he should not treat them as he wants. People must take care of their pet, groom and cherish it, and only in this case the pet will respond in kind. It is the problem of the attitude of people towards animals that the author raises in his text.
Goncharova begins her text by introducing the main character, Seraphim, a Chernivtsi veterinarian who adores his patients. A man communicates exclusively with those people who treat their pets well, he does not want to know the rest. For example, Seraphim stopped communicating with Leva Gold, from whom the turtle ran away. For the veterinarian, this person automatically became bad: “Goodbye, Leva Gold, you are an animal.” Further, the writer talks about a beautiful cat that was fed by the owners so that she stopped moving and showing activity. Such hosts are not Seraphim's friends either. The next pet is a parrot. He behaves horribly, steals and swears. The veterinarian explains that the bird, unlike its owner, can be pointed out once to mistakes, and she will immediately understand them. The first to receive positive feedback is the donkey Socrates. Seraphim says that he is smart and very quick-witted, although sometimes he still shows his donkey, stupid qualities. Seraphim says about Osadchikh's goat that she is amorous, stupid and importunate. In her tobacco addiction, he blames the owners, whom he considers animals. The veterinarian also talks about Fedor the pig, who, according to Seraphim, does not get fat, because everything goes to his mind. The owners of the piglet are evil people, they want to kill him. The owners are to blame for the loss of hearing in the dog of the Tomultsovs, who ruined their talent by taking the dog hunting in the winter. Seraphim himself does not have his own pet, because he devotes all his time to others: not only animals, but also their owners. For example, a recently familiar lady brought puppies. Seraphim spends every day with her, but not only because of the puppies, but because the owners are people. Goncharova, completing her text, writes what exactly Seraphim will be able to tell: what kind of person is good, and what kind of person should not be communicated with.
The author believes that the habits of pets can be said about the nature of their owners, which is why people should treat animals well. According to the author, well-mannered and smart pets can only be with decent and intelligent owners.
I cannot but agree with the author. In my life, I have faced similar situations many times. It seems to me that pets, like children, they take an example from people and imitate their behavior, so the owners should monitor their behavior, pay attention to pets and educate them.
A striking example is the story of Kazakov Yu. "Arcturus - the hound dog". It speaks of a hound dog who was born blind. For his handicap, his owners threw him out into the street, where he grew up very shy because people kept kicking him and yelling at him. Once a doctor who was returning from duty saw him, he took him to his home, washed him and fed him. After that, the doctor wanted to drive the dog away, but he rested and did not go. So a new inhabitant appeared in the house. Kazakov describes Arcturus as an unusual dog. The animal loved its owner passionately, with all his soul. The Doctor is the only one who treated Arcturus kindly, so the dog was incredibly devoted to him. After some time, Arcturus began to spend a lot of time in the forest, hunting instincts made themselves felt. One day he came across a fox and chased it through the whole forest. Rumors about the unusual dog quickly spread, and people came to the doctor who offered big money for the dog. The doctor flatly refused, he loved Arcturus very much, he did not need any money. It seems to me that Arcturus understood everything and therefore did not even think about leaving the owner or betraying him. Probably, if it were not for the accident in the forest, they would have lived in perfect harmony with the doctor. This story is the best way to show that the relationship of a person to an animal is directly related to the relationship of an animal to a person.
Another, no less striking, example is the work of K. Paustovsky "The Gray Gelding". The story tells about a horse that has worked for people all its life. When she could no longer work, the chairman of the collective farm wanted to send her to the groom, but Petka, the groom, took pity on the horse and took it for himself. That is why the gelding followed him when Petya and Reuben walked to the river. The horse felt a good attitude towards himself from Petka, and therefore treated him the same way.
In conclusion, I want to say that many people treat animals as stupid creatures, treat them badly and allow themselves to be pushed around, but even pets understand everything, therefore they become the same as their owners, they imitate them in everything, in including behavior.
Essay 5 - about books.
Lots of people read books every day. At the same time, they relate very differently to both the information they read and the book itself. Some consider literary works noble food for the mind, spiritual mentors. Others perceive reading as a good way to kill time and disperse boredom. Some individuals generally think that books are only good for kindling a stove. So how should books be treated? This issue is considered, including in the text of V. Soloukhin.
The text is a dialogue between two friends. To be more precise, most of it is the story of one of the interlocutors about the incident that occurred in the city of K. This incident was connected with the library, namely, with the old books in it. The librarian Valentina Filippovna, with whom the narrator was on good terms, suggested that he take and drive a truck in order to choose any books from the available ones. She still needed to hand over these works for waste paper by order of the city authorities, and she hoped that he, her acquaintance, as the only professional writer in the city, would at least save something. By the way, among these books were the original editions of Radishchev, Derzhavin, Baratynsky and Batyushkov, the first books in French by Dumas and Balzac, the Bible illustrated by Doré ... The writer did not take all these rarities, because he had a lousy mood because of a quarrel with his wife and he was too lazy to hire a truck. Apparently, such an attitude towards really valuable books offended the librarian. The narrator subsequently condemned himself, comparing himself with a fool to whom the treasure is given.
Apparently, the position of the author is that books should be treated with care and valued. Some books, from the point of view of Soloukhin, are really a treasure. Those who pass by this wealth, the author condemns.
It is difficult to disagree with Soloukhin, because there is a lot of knowledge in books that can be useful to us in life. Reading books also teaches us how to work with information. Finally, by reading books, we can touch the beautiful, discover a whole world of new emotions and impressions.
In literature, as in life, alas, quite often there is a type of people who do not appreciate books and do not like to read. Some prefer to replace the knowledge gleaned from books with something pseudo-scientific. If such people make up the majority in society, which, fortunately, is rather difficult to imagine, such a society will degrade. Let's take, for example, some miserable remnants of humanity from the story of K. Simak "The Generation That Achieved the Goal". These people, having been flying for a long time on a spaceship that carried them off the earth, have already forgotten how to control it and what it is intended for. Reading books eventually fell under their ban. They considered their ship to be a whole separate world, and not one of hundreds of the same. The development of science stopped, the society was dominated by a religious view of the world. On the whole ship, fortunately, there was a single person named John Hoff, to whom the ancestor bequeathed a manual for managing the ship and various books. Having read far from everything that was bequeathed to him, John sharply realized that the picture of the world that all the inhabitants of the ship imagine is strikingly different from the true one. Moreover, he discovered that the ship was rushing to the star and they were all in danger of death. Looking ahead, I’ll say that if he didn’t dare, despite the ban, to pick up a book, people would die without even knowing what killed them. No one would change the course of the ship, and people would burn in the flames of the star. By the way, on realizing the truth, Hoff's adventures are far from over. He was left almost alone with his truth. He also had to make sure that, in addition to books, it was not in vain that his ancestors bequeathed him a gun ...
Naturally, the literary example of degrading humanity, ceasing to appreciate books, is quite vivid. Another thing, as experience shows, in the near future, hardly anyone will forbid reading books in general. Reading books for the younger generation will slowly be replaced by a computer and TV. Such an undesirable development of events was also noticed by the physicist Georgy Andreevich from F. Iskander's story "Authority", and the general trend directly affected his youngest son. The latter, capturing the formal meaning of the books, did not understand the deeper meanings laid down in them by the author. In addition, he himself did not like to read books, and he was reluctant to listen to his father's reading. Neither The Shot, nor The Captain's Daughter, nor Hadji Murad touched him particularly. Realizing that by not reading books, his son would miss something very important in his life and move away from him, Georgy Andreevich decided to put his son to a book, arguing with him that he would beat him in badminton. It turned out to beat my son in badminton, albeit with great difficulty. The reader is left with the hope that for the latter, at least in this way, the wonderful world of literature will open.
In conclusion, I would like to say that a good attitude towards books, the ability to appreciate them, of course, is not yet a guarantee of education and success in life. But in itself this quality is very worthy. Too bad it's getting rarer and rarer...
Essay 6 - about the grandfather's house.
People relate to places differently. Saying the word “place”, I mean not just a geographical coordinate, but something related to my own human memories, like the playground where you played as a child, school, home ... The latter, for example, can be remembered with warmth every day. But not for everyone it plays such an important role - others consider it only the first place of residence. So how should you relate to the place where you spent your childhood? This issue is also discussed in Iskander's text.
The story is told in the first person. The narrator describes his longing for his grandfather's house and its causes. Already in the second paragraph, he says that now that this house is gone, he feels robbed. It seems to him that some main root of his is chopped off. Explaining his thought, the narrator describes to us all the charm of a place dear to him. Of course, it lies partly in the beauty of both the nature of the courtyard and the interior of the house, but more important for a person who is familiar with all this is the memories associated with these beautiful objects and objects of nature. About how he listened to hunting stories in the kitchen, how many unripe apples he knocked from the apple tree, and so on. The most important thing, probably, was that the house, with its hearth smoke and the kind shade of trees, supported the narrator and made him bold and confident.
The position of the author, apparently, is that one should treat one's home with indifference, with respect and care, because it is important for you, it can help you in your life. The memories associated with him are of great value.
It is difficult to argue with Iskander, because in difficult times happy memories help a lot to dispel sadness and longing for a while. I think many people have plenty of those related to their home. In addition, this house is your fortress, a place where you almost always feel comfortable, a place that is almost alive for you. Perhaps, for someone, he is even almost a full-fledged interlocutor ...
There are many works in literature where the main characters somehow realize the value of their home. In Bradbury's Strawberry Window, for example, a family that has moved to Mars experiences homesickness on Earth. This is especially evident in the example of Kerry. She lacked, it would seem, all the little trinkets that created coziness in an old house, like an Armenian carpet or Swedish mirrors. The earthly house itself was very different from her and Bob's now - it was wooden, and the sounds generated by the tree gave it something like a soul. He seemed to soak up the years. The current house made only tin sounds, as if it did not matter to him whether the owner lived in it or not. Bob, understanding all this, but at the same time believing that humanity should spread throughout the universe for the sake of self-preservation, in order to settle down well somewhere by the time the sun explodes, decides to spend the savings accumulated over ten years to transport some of the cute to the heart of things on Mars, making living on it at least a little more comfortable. His decision was understandable, but hasty: Kerry and the children were hardly happy to spend money so quickly, and without their knowledge. However, this is not directly related to the issue we are considering ...
Naturally, the theme of loving the place where you spent your youth is not limited to science fiction literature. For example, in Chekhov's Cherry Orchard, she is one of the main ones. Ranevskaya and Gaev have warm feelings towards the garden itself, the estate, the children's rooms and the old closet. The reason is simple: these things remind them of childhood - that glorious time when life was easy, when they did not feel any responsibility for their action or inaction. Alas, these personalities remained as infantile as they were, so they could not save the garden from being sold under the hammer - instead of taking decisive action, they talked about the beauty of the garden, the fate of Russia, and also had fun. Ironically, the garden went to a person who did not understand its value, but offered the most real ways to save it, that is, Lopakhin. As a result, the cherry orchard was cut down, the house was boarded up along with the footman Firs, forgotten by his masters. The former owners were hardly happy about the fate of the estate, where they spent their best years.
In conclusion, I would like to say that, of course, your home is unlikely to be the only memorable place in your life. There are cases when a person initially does not have a place that he could call home - and nothing, he lives! But in most cases, it is best to remember where you come from, where you grew up, how your life journey began.
Essay 7 - about spiritual and material values.
In the modern world, people attach great importance to their material well-being, which determines their status in society. Spiritual values sometimes fade into the background, but still people need them to satisfy their internal aesthetic needs. What does a person need more in life: material or spiritual values? This is the question raised by the author in the text.
The story is told in the first person. The narrator begins by describing the events that take place. He was on a business trip in Italy, where he met an Italian millionaire, who at the end of the evening invited him to his house for dinner. At first glance, this man was a typical bourgeois millionaire with the appropriate behavior and manners. However, at home, the millionaire said that he loves poetry very much and released a small collection for friends. The narrator was struck by the beauty of this collection: it was made from expensive materials, and at the same time with great taste. Then he notices how the Italian has changed when talking about poetry: he has become softer. The millionaire read him a short poem that had come together during the evening, and the narrator noted that it made sense, although he did not expect this from the owner of the factory. The text ends with a speech by an Italian millionaire who says that he is unhappy because he has to work in a factory, that is, his unloved business, but without a factory, he says, he would be even more unhappy.
The author's opinion is expressed in the text through the words of an Italian millionaire: "I am unhappy, God knows ... But without the factory, I would be even more unhappy!" These words make it clear that, according to the author, material values play a dominant role in our lives, but we cannot do without spiritual values.
I cannot but agree with the author that most people now do not do what they want, do not satisfy their spiritual needs, but do everything in order to become rich, because money can buy everything, including what is needed for the soul.
An example of this problem is the work of N.V. Gogol "Portrait". The work tells about a young artist who had a talent for drawing, but at the very beginning of his journey, he stared at the life of the rich and dreamed of joining their ranks. And he had such an opportunity: by the will of fate, the artist Chartkov got the money, with the help of which he was transformed and became famous. Of course, his first thought was to buy everything that is necessary for practice, and work out his skills for several years, but still the craving for fame turned out to be stronger. In the end, he became very rich and famous, had a certain authority in society, but his portraits were similar to each other, did not contain anything special. Chartkov did not notice this until a picture of his old acquaintance, who had gone to Italy to develop his skills, was brought to the city. The artist was amazed by the painting to the core, so he rushed home to try to draw a fallen angel, but nothing came of it. Then he realized that he could not do anything, because he did not know the very beginnings, he had ruined his talent and nothing could be changed. Chartkov, in a fit of envy and anger, began to buy up paintings and destroy them. He eventually died of insanity. This example shows that spiritual values are still more important than material ones. For Chartkov, wealth was the main thing in life, of course, he realized that this was wrong, but it was too late to change anything.
Another example is the work of A.P. Chekhov "Ionych". The protagonist of the story, zemstvo doctor Dmitry Ionovich Startsev, comes to work in the provincial city of S. He is an open person, ready to communicate, and soon the doctor meets the Turkin family and goes to visit them. He liked their company: each family member had his own talents. Resuming an acquaintance a year later, he falls in love with Kotik, the daughter of the Turkins. Having called the girl to the garden, Startsev tries to declare his love and unexpectedly receives a note from Kotik, where he is assigned a date at the cemetery. Startsev is almost sure that this is a joke, but he still goes to the cemetery at night and waits for Ekaterina Ivanovna for several hours to no avail, indulging in romantic daydreams. The next day, dressed in someone else's tailcoat, Startsev goes to propose to Ekaterina Ivanovna, and is refused. We see that for the zemstvo doctor, spiritual values are in the first place, he is passionate about communicating with people, his feelings for Kotik, but her refusal hurt his pride. Four years later, Startsev has a lot of practice and a lot of work. He visits the Turkins again, but, remembering his love for Kotik, he is embarrassed, and the talents of the Turkins are no longer so attractive to him. Over time, Ionych only increases his practice, from greed he cannot quit his job. Startsev's life is boring, nothing interests him, he is lonely. It is easy to see that at the beginning of the story, when spiritual values were important for Ionych, he was a more pleasant and cheerful person than at the end, when he became interested only in money. It turns out that spiritual values are needed in a person's life, because they give him the strength to live and develop.
In conclusion, I want to say that one must be able to combine material wealth and spiritual needs. Sometimes without money it is impossible to fulfill your spiritual dreams, but we must not forget that it is the inner human values that help us to remain human. It seems to me that everything is important: both material and spiritual values, the main thing is not to forget that one contributes to the development of the other.
Essay 8 is about selfless help.
In modern society, people do everything for a fee, no one will make an extra effort to help a person, although before there was nothing special about coming to the aid of other people and not demanding anything in return. That is why in his text the author raises the problem of disinterested help to people.
The story is told in the first person. The narrator begins by describing the situation that is being discussed in the text. He says that once his son was very ill, and one of those days Arkady Gaidar came to see him. The narrator's family could not get a rare medicine for their son, so Gaidar called his house and asked to send all the boys from their yard. When they arrived, he sent them all over Moscow in search of this medicine. Gaidar was sitting by the phone, and when someone called and said that there was no medicine in the pharmacy, he sent this boy on. In the end, the necessary medicine was found in Maryina Grove. The narrator says that Gaidar could not be thanked, he did not like it, since he considered any help to be the norm of life. Then he describes another case, how they, together with Gaidar, walked along the street, on which a pipe faucet burst. People had already run to block it, but the water was still pouring and washing the earth out from under the small garden. Then Arkady Petrovich, without hesitation, ran up to the pipe and blocked it with his hand. Despite the fact that he was in great pain, he held her until the tube was closed. He was glad that he managed to save the little garden. The narrator ends his text with warm words about Gaidar.
According to the author, helping other people should become the norm for every person. The author's opinion is confirmed by the words of the narrator about Gaidar: “It was impossible to thank him. He became very angry when he was thanked for his help. He considered helping a person the same thing as, say, greeting. K. Paustovsky believes that selfless help brings joy to both those who have been helped and those who have helped.
An example of this problem is the work of M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil". The third part tells about how a tribe lived in the old days, which was strong, cheerful and courageous, but other tribes came and drove the former ones away. They began to wander through the forests in search of a new place of residence, but it was impossible to live in the forests, since the sun did not break through there, and a terrible stench emanated from the swamps. When people were already desperate, Danko appeared. He led them through the forest, and the people followed him. It was a difficult journey with no end in sight. When everyone was completely exhausted, they blamed Danko for all their troubles. People wanted to kill him, but Danko tore out his heart, which lit up the entire forest. People again went for Danko, fascinated by the radiance of his heart. In the end, the forest ended, and the steppe spread out before everyone. Danko proudly looked at this and died. People immediately forgot about him, one even stepped on Danko's heart, but he never asked for something in return. His love for people was so great that he was able to sacrifice his life to save his tribe and did not even demand gratitude in return.
Another example is L. Kassil's story "Marks of Rimma Lebedeva". The action takes place during the war. Rimma and her mother spent some time near the front line, and then went to her aunt. In the new place, Rimma again went to school, but her aunt did not allow her to exert herself much, because she said that she had not yet recovered from what she had experienced. Over time, Rimma herself began to think the same way, so she did not do her homework and studied poorly. All the children in their class went to the hospital. The girls embroidered pouches for the wounded, and Rimma also sewed it, although it did not turn out very foldable. The soldier to whom she gave it asked to write the letter for him, as his hand was injured. When the wounded man began to check for Rimma, he saw a large number of errors. Since then, Rimma came to the soldier every day, and they wrote letters, and then sorted out the mistakes. At the end of the quarter, the girl brought the wounded man a sheet with grades, for the Russian it was "excellent". She asked the soldier to sign as a tutor, and the wounded man was very surprised at this. So Lieutenant Tarasov helped the girl correct her grades and learn how to write correctly. It is easy to understand that he did this out of the kindness of his heart, because he wanted to help the girl. Of course, she was very grateful to him, but it was enough for him to see her grades, the wounded man realized that his work had not been in vain, and was very glad about it.
In conclusion, I want to say that selfless help should come from the heart and be done by every person. The person who provided this help will feel joy himself. People should make every effort to ensure that mutual assistance becomes the norm again in our lives.
Essay 9 is about happiness.
By the word "happiness" each person means something different: for some it is a big family, for others - wealth, for others - the opportunity to travel the world. Of course, it is not easy to find your own happiness. So how do you become happy? It is this question that the author raises in his text.
The text begins with a description of the main character - a boy whose name is Genya Pirap-pilots. The author lists all the physical ailments that made this child unhappy and lonely, other children even threw clods of dirt at him. But one day everything changed. Gena had a birthday, and his mother forced him to invite his classmates and children from the yard to the holiday, although he did not communicate with anyone. The boy's favorite pastime was to fold various figures from newspapers. When the guests entered the house, he was doing just that, so after a few minutes everyone was bending over the table. Genya only had time to make new figures, everyone wanted to get something, because the events took place in wartime, and there were almost no toys then. The children smiled at Gene, were drawn to him, and he experienced real happiness, because he was in a team, he made friends. The author ends his text with the words that the mother at that time was washing the dishes, smiling and crying. Genya was truly happy for the first time in his life.
According to L. Ulitskaya, in order to become happy, you need to be useful to society: this will help you join the team and overcome loneliness. The author's opinion is directly expressed in the text: "They stretched out their hands to him, and he gave them his paper miracles, and everyone smiled, and everyone thanked him ... He was happy." And also the position of the author is contained in the last sentence of the text: "The happy boy gave away paper toys."
I cannot but agree with the opinion of the author, because any person needs communication and a team. The best way to join the team is to be useful, so a person must definitely have some kind of occupation: this is how he becomes happy.
A striking example confirming the position of the author is R. Bradbury's story "The Strawberry Window". The work speaks of a family whose head was a builder. He wanted to work on new cities on Mars, so they had to leave their earthly home and move to the red planet. It was deserted and uncomfortable on Mars, the builder's wife, Kerry, constantly cried and really wanted to return home, but could not leave her husband. Despite the unattractiveness of Mars, Bob felt truly happy there. He talked about what gives the future to new generations: when it will be impossible to live on Earth, everyone will move to Mars, and he is one of those people who will help make this happen. Thus, Bob benefits people, not only now living, but also in the future - this thought inspires him and makes him happy.
Another example is the work of M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil". The third part tells about how a tribe lived in the old days, which was strong, cheerful and courageous, but other tribes came and drove the former ones away. They began to wander through the forests in search of a new place of residence, but it was impossible to live in the forests, since the sun did not break through there, and a terrible stench emanated from the swamps. When people were already desperate, Danko appeared. He led them through the forest, and the people followed him. It was a difficult journey with no end in sight. When everyone was completely exhausted, they blamed Danko for all their troubles. People wanted to kill him, but Danko tore out his heart, which lit up the entire forest. People again followed Danko, enchanted by the radiance of his heart. In the end, the forest ended, and the steppe spread out before everyone. Danko proudly looked at this and died. People immediately forgot about him, one even stepped on Danko's heart, but he died happy, because his love for people was boundless. He brought great benefits to the whole tribe, Danko saved them all from death, he knew this, so he was happy.
In conclusion, I want to say that there are many different ways to find happiness, but the surest way is to bring benefit and joy to other people, because if you do this from a pure heart, then you yourself involuntarily become happy.
Essay 10 is about complaining about your time.
People often say that in the days of their parents life was better or, conversely, that now everyone is trying for future generations, and only they will have a good life. Few people notice that there are many advantages in the present tense compared to the past and future. In this text, the author raises the problem of complaining about his time.
Degoev begins his text with the argument that people constantly complain about their time and each generation has its own reasons for this. This is especially pronounced at turning points, for example, during the revolution, although later this unfortunate time becomes an object of admiration for posterity. The author says that our time is no exception, many are dissatisfied with their lives, and they have reason for this. The parties in power offer people the shortest path to happiness, but in the end it drags on for a long time, and everyone runs out of patience. The history of the twentieth century is full of terrible moments, in comparison with which our time no longer seems so bad, although the 20th century is remembered for other events. The author ends the text by saying that people no longer want the past or the future, they just want to live in peace, live in the moment. And this does not prevent them from knowing their time, as well as looking into the future.
The author's opinion on this problem is directly expressed in the text: "Each generation has reasons to complain about its own time ..." He believes that people are always more attracted to other people's times. Although he has a separate opinion about modern people: “However, people no longer want to live in either a blessed past or a promised future. They just want to live, without wars, upheavals and poverty.”
I cannot but agree with the author that people dream of getting into the past or the future. It seems to me that this happens because, when studying history, we pay more attention to its positive aspects, often forgetting about the serious problems of those times. Probably, now people have already come to terms with the fact that they cannot get to another time, and therefore they wish themselves a quiet life, devote time to the present, live in the moment.
An example of this problem is the work of R. Bradbury "Smile". There was a war in the world, during which almost the entire civilization was destroyed, and what little was left of it was now purposefully exterminated by the survivors. The action takes place in a small town, where they were supposed to bring a picture into which each of the inhabitants could spit. There was a big queue for this. In the queue, people discussed the upcoming event, and also discussed the time in which they live. Someone was indignant that after the war they had almost nothing left. But for the most part, people hated the past, because because of the people who ruled then, they now live practically among the ruins, among the radioactive fields. There was only one person who noted that civilization had its advantages. And yet people hated their time, because they lived in the ruins of the past, although on the other hand, they have a chance to start all over again. Maybe the boy from the queue, who could not spit in the picture, will become the very person who will create a new civilization without flaws.
Another example is R. Bradbury's story "The Strawberry Window". Events are developing in the future, on Mars. The family moved there because the father was a worker and he wanted to build cities on Mars. Unfortunately, his wife absolutely did not like it there, and she really wanted to return to Earth, but she could not leave her husband. Bob said that soon there would be a big city here, she would make new friends, and this place would no longer be distinguishable from Earth. He did a good deed, built a place of residence for future generations. Bob lived with dreams of a brighter future, but his wife did not share his inspiration. She did not like the situation in which they lived at that moment, and every night she wanted to pack her things and go back. For her, their former home on Earth was the best place, she lived in thoughts about it. At the end of the story, Bob takes the whole family to the spaceport, he spent all the money and moved part of their house from Earth to Mars. The wife's reaction is ambiguous, and we cannot say for sure whether she is happy about it or not. Thus, Bob lived in dreams of the future, and his wife lived in thoughts of the past, none of them could say that the time in which they live in the present moment is the best.
In conclusion, I want to say that you don’t need to dream about everything being the same as before, you need to look for the pluses in your time and try to make it better and more comfortable. We must not forget about the future, because our children will live in it, but we should not think that our time is bad, because time is always good.
Now almost everyone is concerned about material wealth and no one wants to spend mental and physical strength on something that will not bring them profit.
In the section on the question Give an example of selflessness. In my opinion, there is none. set by author User deleted best answer is Mother's love for her child!
In procreation, if you don’t rely on children in the future
When a person asks such a question, there is a particle of disinterestedness inside him))) It is commendable.)) But it can be expressed in different ways.))
You are right, there are no selfless acts. Everyone gets some benefit from it. In the TV series "Friends" an entire series was devoted to this issue.
So I disinterestedly gave my grandmother 10 rubles in the market. because she thought she needed them more. What is my self-interest, I will never see her again. If only in the needs of my conscience to do good
I won't, because I agree with you. We are all selfish, looking for self-interest, both material and moral.)
In the service of my friends - officers of the fleet. I don’t know how many, but those people I’m talking about serve our common, alas, ungrateful Motherland (each of them has different talents and education).
yes no happens and very often charity is anonymous. .mother's love is disinterested (a glass of water)... .But at the same time, it is a well-known fact that people are driven by vanity and a thirst for money, or the fear of losing them.
Probably, many people think about what altruism is, although they often heard this word. And also, for sure, many saw people who helped others, even sometimes risking their lives, but did not know how to call such people. Now you will understand how these concepts are related to each other.
There are many definitions of the word "altruism", but there is one common feature that different sources agree on, even Wikipedia, altruism is associated with selfless concern for other people. The word "selflessness" is also very suitable, because a person who is an altruist does not expect any rewards, benefits, he does things without wanting anything in return. The opposite of altruism, that is, the antonym, is the concept of "egoism", and if egoists are considered not the best people, then altruists, as a rule, are respected and they often want to take an example from them.
Psychology gives such a definition of what altruism is - this is such a principle of personal behavior, thanks to which a person performs actions or deeds related to the well-being of other people. The French sociologist Comte was the first to introduce this concept, by which he understood disinterested, expecting nothing in return, motivations of a person who are beneficial only for other people, and not for this person himself.
There are several types of altruism:
There are many examples of altruism. For example, such heroic deeds are often heard when a soldier lay down on a mine to save his other soldiers, there were many such cases during World War II. Very often, an example of altruism is caring for their sick loved ones, when a person spends his time, money and attention, realizing that he will receive nothing in return. An example of altruism is the mother of a child with disabilities, who helps her child all her life, pays for expensive treatment, takes him to special teachers, and at the same time does not expect anything in return.
In fact, there are a lot of examples of altruism in everyday life, you just need to look around and see a lot of kind and selfless deeds. For example, subbotniks, donation, charitable assistance, helping orphans or people with fatal diseases - all this can be called altruism. Mentoring is also an example of altruism, that is, when a more experienced master transfers his knowledge to a younger student completely free of charge and out of good intentions.
Of course, an altruist has many qualities, only the main ones are listed here. All these qualities can and should be developed, we need to help others more often, help people with the help of charitable programs and foundations, and you can also do volunteer work.
There are many advantages to this behavior and it is not difficult to guess what they are. First of all, of course, moral satisfaction from their actions. By doing selfless good deeds, we bring goodness into the world. Very often people do good deeds after they have done something bad, so they kind of want to make amends for themselves. Of course, thanks to altruistic behavior, we acquire a certain status in society, they begin to treat us better, they respect us, and they want to imitate us.
But altruism also has its downsides. It happens that you can overdo it and even harm yourself. If a person is very kind, people around him can use him for their not always good intentions. In general, when doing good deeds, one must remain very careful not to make things worse for oneself and one's loved ones.
Now you know what altruism is, the definition of altruism in psychology and examples of altruism. It involves good and selfless deeds, and to be an altruist, it is not necessary to be rich, have some kind of fame or know a lot about psychology. Sometimes simple attention, support, care, or even a kind word can help. By doing more and more good deeds, over time you will understand how good your heart has become, how you have changed and the attitude of those around you has changed.
Hello dear friends and guests of my blog! Today I will touch on the topic - altruism, talk about the meaning of this word and give examples. An altruist is a person who acts selflessly without expecting anything in return. It seems to me that now this is very relevant, and our society needs to awaken these wonderful qualities in itself. I hope my article will help you with this.
The word altruist is completely opposite in meaning to the word egoist. That is, this is a person who cares about others, performs deeds and deeds that benefit society, even to the detriment of himself. This concept was introduced by the French sociologist Auguste Comte. In his opinion, the main principle of altruism is to live for others. Of course, I don’t really like the word damage, since disinterestedness, it’s still not to act out of inferiority, but most likely out of abundance. This abundance is not necessarily manifested in some material wealth of a person, rather it is an abundance of the soul and heart. In an article on compassion, I have already touched on this topic a bit.
The characteristic qualities of an altruistic personality are kindness, responsiveness, empathy, activity, compassion. People who are prone to altruism have a well-functioning heart chakra. Outwardly, they can be recognized by their eyes, which radiate a warm radiance. As a rule, altruistic individuals are optimists. Instead of wasting time depressing and complaining about the world, they just make it a better place.
Properties of altruistic deeds may differ in different sexes. As a rule, in women they have a longer duration. For example, they often put an end to their careers for the benefit of their families. And men, on the contrary, are characterized by momentary heroic impulses: to pull a person out of a fire, to throw himself on an embrasure. As during the Great Patriotic War, Alexander Matrosov and many other unknown heroes did this.
The desire to help others is inherent in all living beings. This is true even for animals. For example, dolphins help their wounded brethren stay afloat, they can swim for long hours under the sick, pushing him to the surface so that he can breathe. Cats, dogs, foxes, walruses take care of orphaned cubs as if they were their own.
Also, altruism can include volunteering, donation, mentoring (only on condition that the teacher does not charge a fixed fee for this).
Some altruistic acts are so powerful in their depth that they go down in history for a long time. So, during the Second World War, the German industrialist Oskar Schindler became famous throughout the world for saving about 1,000 Jews who worked at his factory from death. Schindler was not a righteous man, but in saving his workers, he made many sacrifices: he spent a lot of money to pay off officials, he risked going to jail. In honor of him, a book was written and the film "Schindrer's List" was shot. Of course, he could not have known that this would bring glory to him, so this act can be considered truly altruistic.
The real altruists include the Russian doctor Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz. He devoted his life to serving humanity, for which he was called the "holy doctor." Fyodor Petrovich helped poor people with medicines, mitigated the fate of prisoners and exiles. His favorite words, which can be made a motto for altruists, are: “Hurry up to do good! Know how to forgive, desire reconciliation, overcome evil with good. Try to raise the fallen, soften the embittered, correct the morally destroyed.
Famous altruists include any spiritual teachers and mentors (Christ, Buddha, Prabhupada, etc.) who help people become better. They give their time, energy, and sometimes their lives, without demanding anything in return.
The best reward for them can be that the students accepted the knowledge and embarked on the path of spiritual development.
As I have already said, in our souls there is a natural desire to take care of the world around us and people, because we are all interconnected. But sometimes the mind takes precedence over the impulses of the heart. In such cases, selfishness and concern only for one's own good wake up in a person.
I'll give you an example. A young girl takes care of a sick elderly man, only because after that he will write his house to her. Can this be called an altruistic act? Of course not, because the original goal pursued by this girl is not helping a person, but the immediate benefit after that.
Increasingly, good deeds (disinterested at first glance) are performed in order to increase one's reputation. World stars without exception engaged in charity and other philanthropic activities. This motif is called the "potlatch effect", in honor of the Indian ceremony of demonstrative exchange of gifts. When sharp feuds arose between the tribes, a struggle for authority began, but it was an unusual battle. Each leader of the tribe arranged a feast, to which he called his enemies. He generously treated them and presented expensive gifts. Thus, they showed their power and wealth.
The most common motive for altruistic acts is sympathy. It is more pleasant for people to help those they like, their friends and loved ones. In some ways, this motive intersects with self-promotion, because one of its goals is to arouse the respect of people dear to us. But still there is a significant difference, because there is love for neighbors.
Some people devote their whole lives to altruistic deeds and service to society, while not experiencing inner satisfaction and harmony. The reason for this is inner emptiness, so a person throws all his strength into saving other people's souls so as not to hear a cry for help from his own.
Let's consider such a situation. A man on crutches walks beside you and drops his glasses. What will you do? I'm sure you'll pick them up and give them to him without the thought that he should do something nice for you in return. But imagine that he silently takes his glasses and, without saying a word of gratitude, turns around and leaves. What will you feel? That you were not appreciated and all people are ungrateful? If this is so, then it does not smell like true altruism. But if, no matter what, this act warms your soul, then this is sincere altruism, and not a manifestation of banal politeness.
A real altruist does not seek material gain (glory, honor, respect), his goal is much higher. By providing selfless help to others, our soul becomes purer and brighter, and, accordingly, the whole world becomes a little better, because everything in it is interconnected.
In order for selfish, selfish people not to “sat on the head” of an altruist, it is necessary to develop awareness in oneself. Then you will be able to distinguish between those who really need help and those who are just trying to use you.
In conclusion, I want to tell you a story from the ancient Vedic scriptures, which illustrates the manifestation of real altruism and selflessness. Watch the video.
Ruslan Tsvirkun wrote for you. I wish you spiritual growth and development. Help your friends with this and share useful information with them. If you have any clarifying questions, do not hesitate to ask, I will be happy to answer them.
Thanks for the interesting and detailed article. I was looking for material on this topic for an essay. There are really no examples on the Internet, everywhere only about Mother Teresa and about a wife who lives with an alcoholic, although this example can hardly be called altruism.
Glad the article was helpful.
That's who I am. And everyone says: you are either a fool or a saint :-/ Thanks for the article)
Ruslan, thanks for the article. The topic is really interesting.
Much has been written and said about altruism. In general terms, altruism is the desire and willingness to help someone in need without asking for anything in return.
Now you can often hear the saying from people: "Do not do good, you will not receive evil." I have thought about it a lot, read and listened.
The first thing I came up with is what you describe in the article. Kindness should be disinterested, sincere, coming from the heart. When doing actions, do not become attached to their fruits.
And the second - you need to follow the rule of true altruism (it turns out that altruism can also be false).
True altruism has three fundamental components.
1. Having a request for help.
Sometimes, it just seems to us that a person needs help, and by imposing ourselves with our help, we interfere with him in the implementation of some of his plans.
2. Having a desire to help.
It happens that a person once asked for help, a second, a third, and has simply become insolent. We see that he is just lazy. And we no longer want to help him. In other words, we are not given energy from above, since our help will lead the one asking to degradation. This is a disservice.
3. Availability of opportunities to provide assistance.
It means to help out of abundance, not to the detriment.
All these three points must be taken into account in the aggregate, otherwise the proverb "Do not do good, you will not receive evil" will still work.
And always, if you want to help others, you need to take into account the time, place, circumstances, showing common sense.
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Selflessness is the ability of a person to perform actions that bring benefits (material or psychological) to others, without expecting mutual gratitude, compensation or other benefits from what is done. Unselfishness as a quality of a personality puts the personality itself among the very last points of the priority scale, being anti-striving, anti-possession, anti-measurement. In disinterestedness, there is no expectation of benefits and calculation of the resources spent (neither money spent, nor sleepless nights are important).
The manifestation of selflessness is compared with the manifestation of inner freedom in the maximum version, where actions are performed not for the sake of mercantile prudence and not for the sake of a great good idea, but are simply performed in the present (without authorities, looking to the future and prerequisites, but guided by the desire to improve the lives of others).
Selflessness as a quality of a person reflects the highest value motives, not obeying external or social principles, since any concept requires the expectation of a certain outcome and divides the world according to the worthiness of actions, and in selfless manifestations there is no scale for assessing the consequences for oneself. There is only an estimate of how the world, well-being or mood of another can be improved at this moment, even if gratitude comes from outside or personal losses follow for the good brought.
Selflessness, being an intrapersonal quality, has its external manifestation and realization in an effective sphere, where, being kind to others, there is no expectation of personal bonuses and benefits in return. Unselfishness is alien not only to the desire for tangible benefits, but also to the desire for self-promotion or building a certain image with the help of actions. The actions performed must be evaluated as if no one will ever know about them, and the performer will remain behind the curtain of secrecy forever, i.e. all that a person can get from selfless motives is to enjoy watching the brought happiness, and even then not always, because often the joy of accomplishment is hidden.
Often people deceive themselves, considering their own actions to be selfless, but if you analyze the motivation and the situation more deeply, it may turn out that the actions were performed in order to ingratiate themselves, get praise or earn the support of a person in the future (to be good and useful now, so that later enjoy the fruits of a good relationship in the future).
Love and friendship imply selflessness as an integral part of building such relationships. It may look like rash acts, but aimed at the benefit of another. Selling a car to pay for a friend’s operation, putting in place a boss who insults a girl are examples of serious and noticeable reactions, but there are more vital and prosaic, filled with disinterestedness, when a person leaves reading his favorite book and goes to help open a jar, when he hurries home and cooks delicious dinner for the second tired person (if behind these actions there are no thoughts about one’s own benefit and comparison of how best to spend time, then these are examples of how friendship gives birth to disinterestedness).
Why do they talk so much about selflessness and strive to develop it, if there is no practical benefit, only costs? It would seem that evolutionarily this type of behavior should have been fixed as negative and gradually exterminated from human behavior, but the whole difficulty lies in the fact that selflessness affects higher spheres of human existence than the physiological level at which evolutionary instincts operate. Being at the level of high spiritual development, selflessness does not affect the material spheres (unselfishness is hardly possible in times of complex hierarchy and a fight for a piece of meat), being located at the level of the spirit. At this spiritual level, the happiness experienced from a perfect selfless deed overshadows any physical pleasures in its sensations, since it represents a more qualitative and subtle filling of the entire human being.
Once immersed in this feeling, the idea of spiritual life changes, values are reassessed, priorities are re-set, and the person himself is surprised at how useless and stupid things used to occupy leading positions in his worldview. Changes selfless behavior and the attitude of the world towards him. As long as we are guided by the laws of profit and personal self-interest, we tend to demand and pressure, manipulate and intimidate, and few people around us like such treatment.
A selfless person lives for the sake of others, without causing violence and without knocking out what is desired from people, his ability to give everything gives rise to reciprocal impulses in the surrounding reality, and people gladly help those who do not take care of themselves, fulfill the desires of those who do something for this, but at the same time helps to fulfill the dreams of others.
People around read the motivation of our actions and try to shun those who seek profit, while those who live for others are more drawn to. It may seem that, being disinterested, a person runs the risk of being surrounded by selfish people who seek to profit from this quality, but the mechanisms of the universe and human communication are arranged in such a way that more good returns. In an effort to repay sincere help, people build strong relationships and offer the best options to those who helped without imposing debt. Lightness and freedom are highly valued in relationships, many even try to pull through the most difficult problems alone, just not to be indebted to someone for help in resolving, and it is at this junction that real sincere relationships are born that do not require return, but rejoice in it.
Selflessness is a way of existence in a world where one's own life belongs not so much to the individual as to being and space. This is a philosophy of abandoning one's own needs with sensitivity to the needs of the environment, while there is no rigid separation and application of strong-willed efforts - everything happens independently and organically, since one's personality and the world around are perceived holistically and equally valuable.
For selflessness, there is no comparison, what would be better - eat dinner or help a friend in the garage, and if a friend calls, then you just need to get out. Following the requests of the outside world becomes an exciting adventure in understanding that we are all one with this world, and a friend’s working motorcycle is equal to the dinner eaten (at least in terms of replenishment of energy, and spiritual or material energy is a matter of recycling). This level of selfless behavior is usually achieved by going through a long spiritual path or a deep crisis, but some are simply born with a similar attitude, where service to others, without expectation of reward, is perceived as the highest freedom to manifest the power of one's own spirit.
It is possible to act disinterestedly on many levels: from unwillingness to act to the detriment of others, to conscious action in the direction of improving the life of another. To commit an act unselfishly means to commit it on the verge of self-denial, forgetting about the benefits, but at the same time feeling the joy of the freedom of one's own personality. The constant need for material wealth imposes many restrictions, as well as the resulting psychological traumas force people to act within the same scenarios in order to get what they have not received, and a selfless act gives a heady feeling of freedom to go beyond these restrictions.
Selflessness is love, without hope for reciprocity, friendship with those who are weaker and cannot help, doing good to those who continue to respond with evil or simply do not return. Selflessness is politeness in response to rudeness, it is helping people in difficult situations (acquaintances and passers-by), it is the rejection of praises and gifts for their actions.
And if there is an interest and a desire to develop this quality in oneself, then it is enough to look at people every day, wondering what can be done to make this person happy. Try small things, maybe not immediately make you happy, but start by helping to smile now or relieve suffering. It may turn out that it doesn’t take much - you need to hug someone, and give someone your jacket, but it’s important not to follow the logical view of an expert who takes inventory of someone else’s life (this way you risk giving people your projections), but to try to feel what is missing person actually. Secret - if you guessed right, then the person's eyes will light up with happiness.
Today we will talk about altruism. Where did this concept come from and what is hidden behind this word. Let us analyze the meaning of the expression "altruistic person" and characterize his behavior from the point of view of psychology. And then we will find the differences between altruism and egoism on the example of noble deeds from life.
The term is based on the Latin word "alter" - "other". In short, altruism is selfless help to others. A person who helps everyone, without pursuing some kind of benefit for himself, is called an altruist.
As the Scottish philosopher and economist of the late 18th century Adam Smith said: “However selfish a person may seem, certain laws are clearly laid down in his nature, forcing him to be interested in the fate of others and consider their happiness necessary for himself, although he himself does not receive anything from this, except for the pleasure of seeing that happiness."
Altruism is a human activity aimed at caring for another person, his well-being and satisfaction of his interests.
An altruist is a person whose moral concepts and behavior are based on solidarity and concern, first of all, for other people, for their well-being, observance of their desires and rendering assistance to them.
An individual can be called an altruist when, in his social interaction with others, there are no selfish thoughts about his own benefit.
There are 2 very important points: if a person is really disinterested and claims the right to be called an altruist, then he must be altruistic to the end: help and take care not only of his relatives, relatives and friends (which is his natural duty), but also provide assistance completely to strangers, regardless of their gender, race, age, official affiliation.
The second important point: to help without the expectation of gratitude and reciprocity. This is the fundamental difference between an altruist and an egoist: an altruistic person, while providing help, does not need and does not expect praise, gratitude, reciprocal favors in return, does not even allow the thought that he is now owed something. He is disgusted by the very idea that with his help he put a person in a dependent position from himself and can expect help or services in return, in accordance with the efforts and means spent! No, a true altruist helps disinterestedly, this is his joy and main goal. He does not refer to his actions as an "investment" in the future, does not mean that it will return to him, he simply gives without expecting anything in return.
In this context, it is good to give an example of mothers and their children. Some mothers give the child everything he needs: education, additional developmental activities that reveal the talents of the child - exactly what he likes HIMSELF, and not his parents; toys, clothes, travel, trips to the zoo and attractions, indulging in sweets on the weekends and soft, unobtrusive control. At the same time, they do not expect that the child, having become an adult, will give them money for all these entertainments? Or that he is obliged to be attached to his mother for the rest of his life, not to have a personal life, as she did not, being busy with a baby; spend all your money and time on it? No, such mothers do not expect this - they simply GIVE it, because they love and wish happiness to their baby, and then they never reproach their children for the money and effort spent.
There are other mothers. The set of entertainment is the same, but most often it is all imposed: additional activities, entertainment, clothes - not what the child wants, but what the parents choose for him and consider the best and necessary for him. No, it may be that at a young age the child himself is not able to adequately choose his own clothes and diet (remember how children love chips, popcorn, sweets in huge quantities and are ready to eat Coca-Cola and ice cream for weeks), but the point is different: parents treat their child as a profitable "investment".
When he grows up, phrases are addressed to him:
What do we see here? The key words are “pay for care” and “invested”.
Got it, what's the catch? In altruism there is no concept of "pride". An altruist, as we have already said, NEVER expects payment for his concern for another person and his good, for his good deeds. He never treats it as an "investment" with subsequent interest, he simply helps, while becoming better and improving himself.
As we have already said, altruism is an activity aimed at caring for the well-being of others.
What is selfishness? Selfishness is an activity aimed at caring for one's own well-being. We see here a quite obvious general concept: in both cases there is Activity. But as a result of this activity - the main difference between the concepts. which we are considering.
What is the difference between altruism and selfishness?
As an example of this thesis, we can cite the lines from the song "If Everyone Cared" by Nickelback:
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
In a free translation, it can be rephrased as follows: “when everyone takes care of the other and will not be sad, when there will be love in the world and there will be no place for lies, when everyone is ashamed of his pride and learns to share with others – then we will see the day when people will be immortal »
The simplest and most striking example is a soldier who covered a mine with himself so that his comrades-in-arms would survive. There are many such examples in war periods, when, due to dangerous conditions and patriotism, almost everyone wakes up with a feeling of mutual assistance, self-sacrifice and camaraderie. A suitable thesis here can be cited from the popular novel "The Three Musketeers" by A. Dumas: "One for all and all for one."
Another example is the sacrifice of oneself, one's time and energy for the sake of caring for loved ones. The wife of an alcoholic or a disabled person who cannot take care of himself, the mother of an autistic child, forced to take him to speech therapists, psychologists, therapists all his life, care for and pay for his studies in a boarding school.
In everyday life, we encounter such manifestations of altruism as:
As we can see, all these qualities have a direction not “towards oneself”, but “away from oneself”, that is, to give, not to take. These qualities are much easier to develop in yourself than it seems at first glance.
We can become more altruistic if we do two simple things:
At the same time, there should be only one motive - disinterested help to others, without the desire for fame, money and raising one's status in the eyes of others.
Becoming altruists is easier than it seems. In my opinion, you just need to calm down. Stop chasing profit, fame and respect, calculate the benefits, stop evaluating the opinions of others about yourself and appease the desire to be liked by everyone.
After all, true happiness lies precisely in selfless help to others. As the saying goes, “What is the meaning of life? – in how many people you will help to become better.
The problem of disinterested help (according to the story of Boris Ekimov "How to tell")
What are the origins of selflessness? Can you explain your need to selflessly help people? Boris Ekimov reflects on this in his work entitled "How to tell ...".
To draw our attention to the issues that concern him, he describes the annual trips of the hero of the story to the Don. Grigory tells his wife and factory friends that he is going to spring fishing, but in fact he is going to help the village aunt Varya, from whom he also hides the true reason for his arrival. Why is he doing this? Once Grigory saw how hard it was for an elderly woman to dig a garden, and since then for the fifth year he has been helping her plant potatoes and do some other housework. And although Aunt Varya is a completely stranger to him, and a sober voice stops: “You never know who suffers in this world,” “but the heart remembered, and did not want to forget Aunt Varya, and it ached for her.”
For the rest of his life he remembered a visit to the circus with a sailor and the pies of the controller Aunt Katya. Perhaps the memory of the actions of these people had such a beneficial effect on the formation of the character of the hero of the story? He does not tell anyone about the real purpose of his trips, all the time mentally repeating: "How to tell ...".
Grigory, dreaming of bringing his grown son to Aunt Varya to work, hopes that he will not have to explain anything: he will see and understand everything himself. After all, “it is necessary that he pity someone. Then there will be no violence."
The author of the story does not directly express his position, but we, the readers, understand it by analyzing the actions of the protagonist. Firstly, the writer, as it were, calls: sympathizing with a person, help him with deed and do not expect gratitude in return. And secondly, you don’t need to explain your “soul’s wonderful impulses”, because how many people, so many opinions.
Someone was kind to you
Do not forget his goodness all the time!
He himself did good to someone -
Don't mention it to him and forget it yourself!
In support of what has been said, the following literary example can be cited. Recall the story of A. Platonov "Yushka". How both children and embittered adults mock the blacksmith's assistant! And he believes that all people are kind and simply do not know how to express their love. He himself is ill with consumption, he is malnourished in order to save money and help an orphan. Nobody knows where Yushka goes every summer. And he went to the city on foot to carry money for the girl's living and education. Yushka's act bore fruit: the girl he helped grew up and became a doctor. She treated tuberculosis patients for free.
Here is another example from Russian literature. The heroine of V. Rasputin's story "French Lessons", the teacher Lidia Mikhailovna, knowing that she could lose her job, plays for money with her starving student, because out of modesty he rejects all the teacher's attempts to help him. And the director of the school, obviously, could not understand the motives of her noble deed, and Lidia Mikhailovna had to leave the school.
So, all of the above allows us to draw the following conclusion: the main thing is to do good, and not trumpet at every crossroads about your charity. And you don’t need to explain anything, because a person with a good heart will understand everything without words, but you won’t get through to a hard-hearted person with any words.
Text essay:
Will selflessness disappear from our lives forever? Will “high-ranking officials” destroy honest and modest people? These questions made me think about the text-parable of Viktor Petrovich Astafiev, a famous Russian writer.
The author addresses the most important moral problem of our time - the problem of attitudes towards human unselfishness. It seems to me that this is one of the eternal questions of mankind: what kind of people should be considered strong: capable of mercy and compassion, or people who are rigidly and confidently moving towards their goal and ready to destroy everything and everyone on the way to the desired material good.
In order to draw the reader's attention to the problem under consideration, the writer tells a parable about young guys living in nature far from the "frantic and tired world". These people do not need much, so they take from nature exactly as much as is necessary for life, they protect the living world from poachers who own the technique “Is such an existence bad, based on a disinterested attitude of man to nature”? - such a question is asked by V.P. Astafiev to the reader. It would seem that there can be a negative answer. It turns out it can. Disinterested people are not needed by the local bureaucracy, which, as the author aptly puts it, has experience in harassing honest and kind people. With what bitterness the writer says: “Meanwhile, guys are being trampled on the sly, they are being squeezed out of their seats ...” Apparently, our compatriots who have power have not grown up to understand that disinterested, greedy, honest and open people are the essence of the nation, its best representatives on whom the whole fatherland rests.
V.P. comes to a sad conclusion. Astafiev: not to the heart and, most importantly, not to the mind of the masses, greedy for pleasure, those who do not steal from nature, but protect it, support and protect it.
It is simply impossible not to agree with the author's opinion: how rare today are disinterested people, not greedy for profit, but taking from life and nature exactly as much as is necessary for a modest, quiet life in unity with themselves, nature and God.
The problem of attitude towards disinterested people has repeatedly worried Russian writers, who portrayed the righteous in their works, without whom the greedy and cruel will forget about disinterestedness and mercy. Such a righteous person, of course, is the main character of the story of A.I. Solzhenitsyn "Matrenin Dvor". A kind, disinterested woman lightly and quietly looks at the world and people. She is ready to help everyone, without asking for a reward. This image is the ideal of a Russian ingenuous person who lives according to the laws of conscience.
No less disinterested is Yushka, the hero of A. Platonov's story "Yushka". He has a spiritual generosity, a big heart, radiating goodness and love. Selflessly shares money with a completely different girl, helps her get an education. But he could, it seems, think about himself, because he is mortally ill. But a disinterested person cannot think exclusively about himself: he finds his happiness in caring for those who have even harder times in life than he does.
Thus, summing up the reasoning of V.P. Astafiev about selflessness, I would like to say that, despite our materialistic age and the all-consuming selfishness of people, pure, honest, disinterested people will never disappear in Russia. “We haven’t survived yet,” the writer claims. I would like to believe that no bureaucrats and officials will ever survive, and no bureaucrats and officials will “crush” kind and disinterested people, the best people of our great fatherland.
Text by V. Astafiev:
(1) On the far, far shore of Khantayki Lake, where the land already ends and there is no population, young guys live. (2) They left this frantic and tired world for nature, pristine, little beaten and not spoiled.
(3) They catch fish, get animals just enough to be enough for simple food and clothing.
(4) Here, in these marvelously beautiful and harsh lands, the hand of a poacher also penetrates, most often a high-ranking one who owns air and water equipment. (5) Guys do not allow anyone to poach, including modern nobles. (6) They promise to remove them from the shore, drive them out of the forests and slowly, but skillfully - the experience of exhausting honest people in our valiant state, especially in these places, what! - survive them from Khantayka.
(7) But have not yet survived ...
(8) Along the shore, along the fertile sand or gruss, bright, large flowers grow in the rubble of stone, in bulk - blueberries, blueberries and the marvelous berry of the north - the princess. (9) This sissy, blooming with an inconspicuous pink flower, grows everywhere in islands, is blocked by thin perches and branches, perches connected by a triangle stand above thin stumps. (10) There were different people here, they cut a thin, persistent forest thoughtlessly, which is closer, which is more convenient with an ax, they bare the cape, but nature does not give up. (11) In the growth of stumps, which are often not thicker than a human fist, a partridge chick suddenly stirs, a larch shoot trembles with fluff of needles - the main tree here, suitable for building materials, for fuel, for firewood, for poles, for blocks for traps, and it will die a sprout, like a chick of the forest-tundra, is destined more often than to survive.
(12) The first settler guys put triangles over each shoot - look, man and beast, do not step on the forest baby, do not trample it - the future life of the planet is in it.
(13) “A good sign of life - there are so few of them left and even fewer reappear, looking at those pole triangles under which small trees grow, I thought. - (14) We would make them an ecological sign of our Siberian region, maybe the whole country, maybe the whole world.
(15) Meanwhile, the guys are trampled on slowly, they move from their place - they stopped accepting fish from them, they threaten not to conclude an agreement on furs.
(16) The guys are thinking of moving to Canada, settling in a taiga or tundra place there, and who silently and evilly, who kindly and sympathetically push in the back:
(18) "And out of my mind"! I will add from myself.
(According to V. Astafiev)
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Natasha Rostova shows mercy - one of the most important human qualities. When everyone begins to leave Moscow, captured by the French, the girl orders to give carts to the wounded, and not to carry her own things to them. Helping people for Natasha Rostova is much more important than material well-being. And it does not matter at all that among the things that should have been taken away, the dowry is part of her future.
M. Sholokhov "The fate of man." Andrei Sokolov, despite the difficult life trials, has not lost the ability to show mercy. He lost his family and home, but could not help but pay attention to the fate of Vanyushka, a little boy whose parents died. Andrei Sokolov told the boy that he was his father and took him to him. The capacity for mercy made the child happy. Yes, Andrei Sokolov did not forget his family and the horrors of the war, but he did not leave Vanya in trouble. This means that his heart is not hardened.
F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment". The fate of Rodion Raskolnikov is difficult. He lives in a miserable, dark room, malnourished. After the murder of the old pawnbroker, his whole life resembles suffering. Raskolnikov is still poor: he hides what he took from the apartment under a stone, and does not take it for himself. However, the hero gives the last to Marmeladov's widow for the funeral, he cannot get past the misfortune that has happened, although he himself has nothing to exist. Rodion Raskolnikov turns out to be capable of mercy, despite the murder and the terrible theory he created.
M.A. Bulgakov "Master and Margarita". Margarita is ready to do anything to see her Master. She makes a deal with the devil, agrees to be the queen at Satan's terrible ball. But when Woland asks what she wants, Margarita only asks that Frieda stop serving a handkerchief with which she gagged her own child and buried him in the ground. Margarita wants to save a completely alien person from suffering, and this is where mercy is manifested. She no longer asks for a meeting with the Master, because she cannot but take care of Frida, pass by someone else's grief.
N.D. Teleshov "Home". Little Semka, the son of migrants who died of typhus, most of all wants to return to his native village of Beloye. The boy escapes from the barracks and hits the road. On the way he meets an unfamiliar grandfather, they go together. Grandpa also goes to his native land. On the way, Semka falls ill. Grandfather takes him to the city, to the hospital, although he knows that he cannot go there: it turns out that he has escaped from hard labor for the third time. There, grandfather is caught, and then sent back to hard labor. Despite the danger to himself, grandfather shows mercy towards Semka - he cannot leave a sick child in trouble. Own happiness becomes less significant for a person than the life of a child.
N.D. Teleshov "Yelka Mitrich". On Christmas Eve, Semyon Dmitrievich realized that everyone would have a holiday, except for eight orphans living in one of the barracks. Mitrich at all costs decided to please the guys. Although it was hard for him, he brought a Christmas tree, bought a fifty-kopeck piece of candy, issued by a resettlement official. Semyon Dmitrievich cut each of the children a piece of sausage, although sausage was his favorite delicacy. Sympathy, compassion, mercy pushed Mitrich to this act. And the result turned out to be really beautiful: joy, laughter, enthusiastic cries filled the previously gloomy room. The children were happy from the holiday arranged by him, and Mitrich from the fact that he had done this good deed.
I. Bunin "bast shoes". Nefed could not help fulfilling the wish of a sick child who kept asking for some red bast shoes. Despite the bad weather, he went on foot for bast shoes and fuchsin to Novoselki, located six miles from home. For Nefed, the desire to help the child was more important than ensuring his own safety. He turned out to be capable of self-sacrifice - in a sense, the highest degree of mercy. Nefed is dead. The men brought him home. In the bosom of Nefed they found a vial of fuchsin and new bast shoes.
V. Rasputin "French Lessons". For Lydia Mikhailovna, a French teacher, the desire to help her student turned out to be more important than maintaining her own reputation. The woman knew that the child was malnourished, which is why she gambled. So she invited the boy to play for money with her. This is unacceptable for a teacher. When the director found out about everything, Lidia Mikhailovna was forced to leave for her homeland, for the Kuban. But we understand that her act is not bad at all - it is a manifestation of mercy. The seemingly unacceptable behavior of the teacher actually brought kindness and care for the child.
