Altruism: (n.) the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. {Origin: mid19th cent. form French altruisme, from Latin alter huic 'to this other.} Cognition: (n.) the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses; a result of this, a perception, senation, notion, or intuition. //