When Should a Person Sacrifice For The Greater Good?

Many famous people in history have sacrificed their happiness for the benefit of others. These sacrifices usually leads a person to change something in their life drastically or give something up completely. In philosophy we learned about John Stuart Mill who spoke on the subject of higher pleasures and lower pleasures. Lower pleasures are those that are most animalistic while high pleasures are those special to us as humans. Many times higher pleasures are renounced by those who practice the form of utilitarianism to better the life and pleasures of others. Utilitarianism maximizes the best consequences for the most happiness of those involved. For example, if there is a single parent home and they are raising multiple children, they might have to sacrifice their personal higher pleasures, such as time alone for reading and relaxing after a long day at work. They would make this sacrifice so they could have time for their children when they get home. This time away from work would be used solely for the purpose of supporting their children in all their endeavors in life and providing them with what they need on a daily basis. However, many people don't realize the sacrifices their parents make and how it truly affects their life. Just think about it, if your parent(s) didn't make the sacrifices for you that they did, then your life might not be what it is now. They did this to provide happiness for you. Even though it may seem to not benefit many, I believe it does. If you look at it in more depth, the way you were raised and the things your parents have done to provide you with your own higher pleasures and happiness have more than likely made you a better citizen, which benefits society as a whole.