Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness. The word was coined by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in French, as altruisme, for an antonym of egoism.[1][2] He derived it from the Italian altrui, which in turn was derived from Latin alteri, meaning “other people” or “somebody else” (Wikipedia)
When we put the welfare of someone else above us we are motivated by their happiness, by the comfort that they feel and the peace of mind they achieve. We remember people in history who have achieved this level of selflessness. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and St Pope John Paul II come top of mind.
In business, it is hard to balance philanthropy with profit. Billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet may not come out as top of mind among the altruistic men and women yet they gave so much of themselves and their earnings for a lot of worthy causes. This leads me to ask, “Do you have to be poor to help and make an impact?” I think not.
In any case, whether we made money or not, popular as Bono or Bill Clinton, making a significant contribution to the lives of others is an act of altruism. As we make our contribution to serving society in our next endeavor, we pray that today, more than ever, altruism still works.
Altruism Works 
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