--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It often turns out on closer inspection…" description: "\"It often turns out on closer inspection that acts of apparent altruism are really selfishness in disguise.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/richard-dawkins-115_altruism_it-often-turns-out-on-closer-inspection_526917.jpg" --- # It often turns out on closer inspection that acts of… ![“It often turns out on closer inspection that acts of apparent altruism are really selfishness in disguise.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/richard-dawkins-115_altruism_it-often-turns-out-on-closer-inspection_526917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/richard-dawkins-115_altruism_it-often-turns-out-on-closer-inspection_526917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/richard-dawkins-115_altruism_it-often-turns-out-on-closer-inspection_526917.jpg) > “It often turns out on closer inspection that acts of apparent altruism are really selfishness in disguise.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Altruistic acts can mask underlying selfish motives when examined closely. **In simple terms:** Some “selfless” deeds are actually self‑serving. Key Takeaway Question true motives behind generosity. Themes ethics human nature motivation Mood thought‑provoking critical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - charity - workplace - family life Key Concepts evolutionary biology psychology Questions to Reflect On - Are you aware of your hidden incentives? - Can selfish motives ever be beneficial? A Different Perspective Not all selfishness is negative; sometimes it drives positive outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altruism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) [Disguise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguise/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/since-according-to-me-your-life-is-going-to-be-a-gradual-process-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [There is an honesty which is but decided selfishness in disguise. 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And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/there-is-another-kind-of-altruism-that-seems-to-go-beyond-that-a-kind/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [There is a whole field of inquiry that has come up in the last 30 or 40 years - some call it sociobiology or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/there-is-a-whole-field-of-inquiry-that-has-come-up-in-the-last-30-or/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are all born selfish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-try-to-teach-generosity-and-altruism-because-we-are-all-born/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. 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And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Altruism quotes > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“...True classical dropouts in society are those who avoid difficult challenges and cling to the first opportunity that comes their way. They never test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/true-classical-dropouts-in-society-are-those-who-avoid-difficult/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Take a stand that reflects the widest horizons of your soul if you don’t want to be a slave to external powers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/take-a-stand-that-reflects-the-widest-horizons-of-your-soul-if-you/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/one-of-the-great-issues-in-biology-is-the-origin-of-altruism-of-why/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/how-selfish-soever-man-may-be-supposed-there-are-evidently-some/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Restoration ecology is experimental science, a science of love and altruism. In its attempts to reverse the processes of ecosystem degradation it runs exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-mills/restoration-ecology-is-experimental-science-a-science-of-love-and/) [Stephanie Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-mills/) > [“...of all the nonsense that twists the world, the concept of 'altruism' is the worst. People do what they want to do, every time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/of-all-the-nonsense-that-twists-the-world-the-concept-of-altruism-is/) [Robert A. 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