I don't mean using altruism as a way to serve the self, although there's definitely something to be said there. I mean approaching altruism from the self.
It's hard to find genuine concern and interest in the world beyond when we don't find a connection through ourselves. Empathy hinges on the motion of imagining oneself in another one's shoes. We must be able to imagine the pain within ourselves before we can sense that it must be taken away from another person.
When there is a lot of external pressures to "be altruistic", without using the path from inside, one would be taking action from a place of fear.
Fearing that they are selfish for not thinking of others, for not naturally feeling the urgency and gravity of other beings' needs. What results is action for the sake of action, of course, this is better than nothing in the grander scheme of things - many people doing the same thing for different reasons still results to many people doing the same thing.
But I think that this kind of altruism will not feel as fulfilling, and neither will it be easy to sustain.
What is important to you? What things are you able to do? What causes are you curious about? Do you feel that you have something to offer that could be of use to others? Start with that.
The man who has more coats at home is the one who is able to give away the one he is wearing to a person without a home, and spare a cold walk to his very own.
Fill your cup, and give from its overflowing.
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