Absolutes Tend Not To Exist

A long time ago, a friend of mine made a compelling case to me that altruism cannot exist in our world. The short version is that, since altruism is the idea of doing good things without the desire for reward, but all good things come with either a specified reward, fame, or even just the feeling of self-satisfaction you get for doing anonymous deeds, then nobody really does good without expecting a reward.

I have admittedly argued both sides, that altruism can exist or that it can't, but I prefer to believe that it is impossible. Altruism is like the embodiment of pure good, so if that can't exist, then pure evil can't exist, either.

The other reason I think altruism isn't possible is that, in my experiences, absolutes tend not to exist. The biggest jerk still has some redeeming qualities. The biggest saint has some skeletons in their closet. It's the nature of life, especially in humanity, that absolutes are truly found in any situation.

This may complicate those 1-dimensional fairy tales we have grown up to know and love, but it also allows for more interesting stories by exploring the depths of those complications. And that is what makes life more interesting and worth writing about, to me.