Martinus: Livets Bog, vol. 4, sect. 1315

1315. But when that which is highest and most sacred within terrestrial human mentality – reciprocal marital love – is regarded as analogous to an "article of commerce" and is legalised by the laws of the "business principle", what phenomena within this mentality is then not subject to the same "business" principle? Is not the greatest part of terrestrial mankind's ability to "give gifts" also a kind of "business principle"? The percentage of "gifts" that are given out of absolute unselfishness or love, and where not the slightest form of recompense is expected, indeed, where no offence is taken even if no "thanks" are received, is very small. By far the greater number of "gifts" that are given are camouflaged "prepayment" for something the giver wants, and hopes by his generosity to attain more easily. Such a giver is not always immediately conscious of this motive for his "generosity". Nor is he, for that matter, very interested in being so. As a rule, he will prefer to perceive himself as a great idealist or "good", "unselfish" giver. But if he discovers that his "generosity" does not have the effect he secretly desired, disappointment and annoyance arise in his consciousness, followed by indignation towards the recipient of the gift, revealing that the "gift" was extremely selfish and thereby in reality merely a camouflaged "prepayment" for the satisfaction of the desire that he expected to attain through this. The "generosity" of the "giver of the gift" was thus nothing more than camouflaged self-worship.