Altruism vs Martyr - What's the difference?

altruism | martyr |


As nouns the difference between altruism and martyr

is that altruism is regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; selflessness; contrasted with egoism or selfishness while martyr is one who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom.

As a verb martyr is

to make someone into a martyr by putting him or her to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.

Other Comparisons: What's the difference?

altruism

Noun

(en noun)
  • Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; selflessness; contrasted with egoism or selfishness .
  • *, chapter=16
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The preposterous altruism too!
  • * 1995 , George E. Vaillant, The Wisdom of the Ego , page 68,
  • Altruism' allows doing for others as one would be done by. Unlike reaction formation, which also gives to the object what the self desires, '''altruism''' leaves the self at least partly gratified. Unlike reaction formation, '''altruism''' tempers asceticism with pleasure. Unlike passive aggression and martyrdom, '''altruism''' allows the object to feel blessed and not afflicted. ' Altruism attracts people to the user; martyrdom repels them even as it holds them close in chains.
  • (biology, sociobiology) Action or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer.
  • * 2013 December 24, Laura Spinney, Goodwill hunting: Random ants of kindness'', ''(New Scientist) ,
  • Altruism' is a behaviour of an individual that benefits another at its own expense.Being nice to relatives is not pure ' altruism because they share your genes so, by helping them, you promote your own genetic heritage.

    Synonyms

    * (regard for others) philanthropy * (action benefiting others at cost to oneself) philanthropy

    Antonyms

    * (regard for others) egoism, misanthropy (hatred of human race), selfishness

    See also

    * agape (spiritual love for others) * bell the cat * brotherly love * misandry (hatred of males) * misogyny (hatred of females) * selflessness

    References

    martyr

    English

    (wikipedia martyr)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom.
  • Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr .
  • (by extension) One who sacrifices his or her life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
  • (with a prepositional phrase of cause) One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily.
  • Stan is a martyr''' to arthritis, Chris a ' martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1937 , author=AJ Cronin , title=The Citadel , passage=He'd been a martyr to asthma all his life.}}
  • One who is killed or suffers greatly because of an identity or position, e.g., a young prince killed when his father, the king, is deposed for the purpose of preventing the restoration of the monarchy later.
  • Synonyms

    * shaheed, shahid

    Antonyms

    * confessor

    Derived terms

    {{der3, martyr complex , martyrdom , martyress , martyrial , martyrish , martyrizate , martyrize , martyrizer , martyrly , martyrolatry , martyrless , martyrship}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make someone into a martyr by putting him or her to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
  • To persecute.
  • ''Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.
  • To torment; to torture.
  • The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart
    Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart. — Spenser

    Synonyms

    * martyrize

    Derived terms

    * martyrer