1.4. Types of altruism The type of altruism described in the analytical literature has both pathological and normal aspects. This external altruism is explained under various headings such as: healthy altruism, normal altruism, genuine altruism, mature altruism, proto-altruism, generative altruism, conflictual altruism, pseudo-altruism and psychotic altruism. Pathological altruistic behavior is habitual, maladaptive, and compulsive with the motivation of aiming for the well-being of others. Pathological altruism involves excessive or extreme behavior that goes beyond self-sacrifice. Pathological altruism is often self-destructive in its consequences. It becomes pathological when the altruist cannot share the happiness of others, which follows from his altruistic acts. In pathological cases a person may be sincerely engaged in altruistic actions but may end up harming themselves or the group they are trying to help, often in unexpected ways. Or again, a person may even become a victim of their own altruistic actions (Okley, Knafo, & McGrath, 2012). Defensive altruism can sometimes also take a pathological form. In defensive altruism, pathological cases are associated with feelings of guilt for not having sacrificed enough, even if they could have given everything. Pathological defensive altruism “is characterized by a pattern of self-sacrifice in which continued avoidance, denial, compromise, and excessive compromise lead to an inability to experience joy in oneself” (Turvey, 2012, p. 185).1.4. 1. ProtoaltruismAccording to Seelig and Rosof (2009), protoaltruism has a biological basis. It can be observed in both animals and humans. They consider maternal altruism to be the basis for p......middle of paper ......that their sacrifice is not adequately appreciated. Then the malignant altruist will be found to be in a continuous cycle of sacrifice, martyrdom, and punishment. One of the most common examples of malicious altruism is that of parents who expect their children to live up to their expectations. Some self-sacrifice on the part of these parents can be a way to punish their children and make them live up to their expectations. The various concepts of altruism described in the analytic literature can be summarized under the term “endocentric,” a term used by Karylowski (1984). Endocentric altruism is: doing good to feel good about yourself. Here the beneficiary in the strict sense is not the other but the altruist. Can we call endocentric altruism authentic altruism? True altruism, which means doing good to make others feel good, is not exocentric?