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I brought this up in more detail on the original thread, but I think that many people will defend someone or put themselves at risk to help someone without any conscious thought to self-preservation or benefits they might get. It's very primal and adrenaline-fueled, and they may be capable of physical feats that they would otherwise be unable to do. Time slows down to a trickle, it feels as though each footfall and heartbeat stretches out into infinity. There is no time and no brain space for conscious reasoning, only for action, with the shaking and fear left for the aftermath when they are hopefully safe again.

I think that claiming that nobody should have any enjoyment from a consciously decided act that helps someone else seems absurd. Perhaps "altruism" is a poor word, and it's a matter of semantics, but often people will volunteer or give things to people in need or otherwise consciously choose to do something nice, with the focus on making the other person happy rather than the reward they might get. I think that criticising people for feeling good about doing nice things seems awfully unproductive and cynical! If anything, it should be encouraged, and the better people feel about it, the more likely they are to do it more frequently. Making it easier is good as well, for the same reason. In the winter and spring, I usually try to keep a couple of cheap tarps, raincoats, blankets and/or umbrellas in the car, and year-round, I try to have some individual snacks, sodas, or water with me. If someone is panhandling or otherwise in need, I'll pass one along, and if not, it's useful to have extras in the car with me in case I happen to need them. Of course, it won't solve anything for them long-term, but does make them more comfortable for a bit. I feel better helping that way than by giving money, since I'm not tempted to be cynical that they'll just spend it on beer, ciggies, or some such.