Hedonism or Altruism

I have been praying lately about why so many people never seem to make it to a higher level of existence. You know the place outside of ourselves where altruism lives. Not a Zen state of being where we meditate all day and try not to offend anyone, but the place where saints in the form of everyday people see that "It is not about me". In a college class we read a book about stages of faith, it moved me and got me thinking about people I knew, the faith of my family and where I wanted to go in my own. We learned that as in physical development there is a natural progression starting at birth and moving up to adulthood. The difference is that many people never make it to the final stage. The potential to continue to growing is present til death. Where or why are some arrested while others life Mother Teressa, Bonhoffer, Martin Luther continue beyond themselves? Is it an accident of circumstances out of ones control or is it a conscious choice? If you know me, you know I believe most of life is a choice.
Hedonism-
1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Altruism

1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species
I truly desire that I continue out beyond myself or even my family and passionately pursue unselfish love. ">Link