http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
Altruism can refer to:
* being helpful to other people with little or no interest in being
rewarded for one's efforts (the colloquial definition). This is
distinct from merely helping others.
* actions that benefit others with a net detrimental or neutral
effect on the actor, regardless of the actor's own psychology,
motivation, or the cause of her actions. This type of altruistic
behavior is referred to in ecology as Commensalism.
* an ethical doctrine that holds that individuals have a moral
obligation to help others, if necessary to the exclusion of one's
own interest or benefit. One who holds such a doctrine is known as
an "altruist."
(Taken from Wikipedia)
the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
(Taken from www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.1)
I feel that altruism is a core principle that lies at the heart of
the purpose of the SAF.Being an NSF,I personally feel that while NS
may be a bother to some people,the SAF is at its core an altruistic
organisation that serves to benefit others,though it is very much
different in reality due to the nature of the people involved in
the SAF.
I think that this quality that is at the core of the founding of
any defence force is the protection of others.To paraphrase a quote
from the Kohima Memorial in Myanmar,"We gave our today for you to
have a tomorrow".This is seen in the SAF mission,which is not only
to deter possible agressors from Singapore,but from to defend its
people as well in times of war.
This quality was also seen when the SAF sent a humanitarian mission
to Meulaboh after the Dec 26 tsunami,one of the finer moments in
SAF history in my opinion.
However,how this translates in reality is very much
different due to human nature and workplace politics.
