Quote Originally Posted by TuffStuffMcGruff View Post
Martyrdom or self-sacrifice to a different level can serve no egoistic purpose beyond some thinly rationalized biological function such as the extention of your progeny and DNA.
Not a thin rationalization. You're just stuck in the mindset that you are ultimately responsible for what you do, rather than a slave to the gene.

Where does altruism most commonly express itself? In the preservation and advancement of close kin. Protecting family is direct service to the gene. Protecting community, nation, and other associations is indirect service by assisting the society and raising the chances for a higher standard of living. Protecting other human beings in general is further indirect service by assisting the species in its chance for survival and success. There are of course exceptions. Parents who sacrifice to protect adopted children don't fit neatly into the model, but it's a very powerful model nonetheless, and the statement that self-sacrifice can serve no egoistic purpose is imo much too strong.

Ajax