Altruistic is an adjective that defines an individual who practices the altruism, that is, that if dedicate to others. Altruism is also seen as synonymous with philanthropy and solidarity.
The term altruism was created by A. Comte to designate a caring attitude opposite to selfishness. It's similar to the love the next approached by Christianity, but differs from it because it is not based on the supernatural. The German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach also defended this concept, although he did not use the word altruism literally.
A selfless attitude is behavior that helps fellow members who are in danger. Altruism is not an exclusive characteristic of the human being, it can also be found in animals, especially in the more evolved ones. Altruism has already been verified in birds (ravens, for example) and in mammals. An example of a selfless animal is the dolphin, which helps an injured companion stay afloat, and feeds and protects it from attack by predators (such as sharks).
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The antonym of altruistic is selfish, and a person who is not altruistic is self-centered, that is, he always thinks first of his own interests and never those of others.
The words altruistic and altruism are written with an acute accent in the letter "i". In English, the altruistic translation can be altruistic, selfless or unselfish. Ex: In an altruistic gesture, he gave his sandwich to the old man in the park. - In a selfless gesture, he handed his sandwich to the man in the park.
See also:5 Selfless Attitudes That Changed the World!