The same but different

The selfish gene manifests itself in altruistic ways. Although child protection may seem as a selfless, noble way of putting someone else’s life over one’s own, in reality, it is all a selfish way of preserving our genes, our traits. In a way we are selfish and altruistic all at once. In terms of human behaviour, people protect their young to preserve their genes and traits, this is altruistic because it is for the progress of the species in general that we protect our children. If a parent and a child are at risk, the parent would much rather chose to save the child’s because it has a greater probability of preserving the genes than himself.