Philosophy Friday - Is Anything Actually Free?

Hello and welcome to Philosophy Friday; the day of the week where I make you question if the word free means what you think it does, and then talk about why.

Random animated coins. Seems legit.

Sometimes people help out strangers. Sometimes they donate to the poor. Sometimes shops give out "free" samples. To be technical, none of these things is actually free, as every action in the world comes with an inherent cost, regardless of whether you perceive it or not. Lets talk about that.

Have you ever wondered why someone would help you out for no reason? Maybe you were a damsel in distress with a flat tire and some burly man with chest hair came along to help you replace it. Whether you consider his inability to think with both brains at once and influence or not, the fact is that he got something out of the exchange regardless of whether he actually *got* anything out of the exchange.

As I mentioned in yesterdays article, the human brain is very concerned with itself, and likes to get things out of it's exchanges. As an altruist, I myself even understand that I do not do things purely out of a want to help people. While it can be effectively surmised as such, the technically correct way to say is that I am an altruist because I like the contented feeling I get when I know that I have helped someone. Any fans of the anime Full Metal Alchemist would understand it as the law of transmutation. A fair exchange is always required. (*Greg busies himself with elbowing nerdy Greg back into his box*)

The point is that things always have a cost. Donating to the poor costs you money and costs them dignity. Helping a stranger costs you time and they must react in some manner. (Preferably with thanks, I've been known to get angry at people who don't say "thanks".) The definition of "Free" is "without cost or payment". However, in essence, the word "Free" is rather extremely redundant in terms of this meaning. It would be far more correct to assert that something is "Free" when it's costs are not readily apparent nor clearly stated. (Unfortunately, I don't think such a definition would catch on... the "Ain't broke, don't fix it" mentally being what it is.)

In any case, the next time somebody offers you something "Pro-bono", take a moment to consider the true costs of what such an exchange might be. You might find it to be an interesting exercise, if nothing else. If you found this article interesting, or have anything to add to the argument, be sure to do so in the comments below or via Facebook/Twitter. And of course do be sure to share this article with anyone you think might be unsure of the actual meaning behind the term "free". If you would like to read more interesting articles like this, do be sure to follow me on Twitter and/or like my Facebook page so that you can get the latest posts, as I post them. Of course, regardless of what you do, I thank you for taking the time to read this article; hope that you have had an absolutely fantastic day, and I will speak again tomorrow.

Au revoir mes amis.