gold, frankincense and mur

Getting presents is lovely but so too is giving them. Especially when you know the recipient will really like them (one hopes)... What's that good feeling called? Not necessarily because you're making somebody else happy but more how you're making yourself happy in the knowing that you've done a good thing by making that other person happy. Follow? Well now if I were a learned sort of person I might start discussing the concept of good will, refer to Kant and ask some questions on morality in order to develop my argument. Unfortunately I'm more pleb than I am philosopher so instead I'll merely call on the old fail-safe mention of "the episode of Friends where..." Phoebe tries to prove to Joey that there is such a thing as a selfless act. She lets a bee sting her so the bee can look cool in front of his bee friends then donates money to a fundraising drive on television for an organisation she really dislikes. Alas in killing the bee and getting Joey attention on camera she ruins her attempted altruism, proving that at the end of the day benevolence is never entirely disinterested.