Can humans do things consistently without being rewarded?

Not according to behavioral theory. According to behaviorism, everything we includes a system of reinforcement and punishment. Even if you are simply doing something to avoid being punished, that is also sort of a reward. If you look closely enough, there’s always a reason people do things, and those things are some how rewarded. The rewards may be completely individually based. So, for example, even self destructive thoughts and behaviors are rewarding in some way to the person engaging in them.

Thanks E! :)

Ty, Ty :)

It depends on perspective. At some level there is some reward to even the most altruistic behavior.

Take the case of a man jumping in front of a speeding car to push a child out of the way or the soldier throwing himself on a live grenade to shield his comrades rather than escaping to safety.

There is no outward reward for either person’s heroism. A split second decision to sacrifice their own life to save another.

Is there a sublime reward? I’d argue that there is even if it is only avoiding having to go through the rest of their life full of regret.

No. You may not always be consious of the reward, but it is always there. Its the way our brains are wired. Functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown that even things like giving to charity ot paying taxes light up the reward system in the brain

Yes they can actually. It’s called “crazy” or “insanity” or “madness” it’s the very definition of it.

But insanity is only a matter of perspective. To the person themselves, in the moment of psychosis, what they are doing makes perfect sense.

no perspective is only a matter of perspective. if you wanna go that route then we can argue paradoxes until the sun withers.