[DemolitionRed]

Originally Posted by Samuel.

You're getting satisfaction out of donating. If you didn't, you wouldn't donate.

Am I misunderstanding altruism?

I don't believe you are.

The person who crosses a frozen lake to save a dog who has fallen through the fallen ice could be seen as brave and heroic but the reason he's doing it is because emotionally he can't bare to see the dog drown. If he rescues the dog he's relieved of those emotions he would otherwise have. What he's doing is brave, kind, heroic and perhaps stupid but its not altruistic because he is getting emotional gain from saving the dog.

Possibly the nearest I could get is donating money to a charity anonymously and never telling a living soul I was doing that but even then, if self satisfaction is involved, its doubtful that its altruistic.