What would you say if I told you that simply observing people thanking others induced more altruism? The simple act of watching someone else do something uplifting or a good deed motivates us to also do good. At …
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I gave up my seat on a crowded bus to a an elderly man who was having a hard time keeping his balance. I was offered a seat by someone else in seconds.
Hi John and thank you for an inspiring article that encapsulates the true essence of Humanistic ‘Karma’
“Simply watching others do something good and uplifting encouraged more altruistic behavior.”
By experiencing the simple yet powerful ripple effect of a smile or laughter can exhibit this philanthropy and just goes to emphasize that; “Isn’t human behavior amazing?”
Thanks again
Regards
Dawn Pugh
Please! What a waste to think you can over simplify so ridiculously and to think that there would be anything useful. What’s amazing is the garbage people will swallow.
It even lists its limitations showing that it is nothing more than small sampling in very non diverse environment therefore it is impossible to even draw cursory conclusions.
It did not take into account the women’s social status, economic class, self esteem, sexual history or a million other things that affect the way we process and use information.
I have seen with my own eyes altruism turn a crowd evil…the difference being that the one exhibiting altruistic behavior was not considered to “normal” or “acceptable” to society. The crowd seemed to so enraged that someone like that might be a better person than they are.
Thank you, John, for calling this to the attention of the naysayers who find they can’t take the time to respond kindly to others. What a miserable life it would be without those who interact in an altruistic manner.
I asked my family and friends to do something kind and consider telling me about it (or not) in a card, instead of giving me the materialistic Christmas gifts for which I have no use. Out of 12 requests only two responded. The others chose to give me the traditional gifts. That is NOT to say the others did not offer acts of kindness to others for I have a kind and loving group of people who surround me.
My mother who was in a nursing home and confined to a wheelchair wrote about her daily ritual of going to the room of a blind friend and accompanying her down a long hallway to locate the door to the dining room. A friend responded in terms of taking time in the grocery store to accompany someone using a motorized cart to take things she needed off the high shelves she could not reach. (Yes, I know people who think negatively could turn that into a sham – what a pity for them).
Both spoke in terms of the small amount of time it took and when I talked w/them about their experience, they had seen others in the same location at the same time offer help to others. One person gave up her place in the checkout line, and the other saw a lady begin to sit regularly beside a woman who could not respond quickly enough to locate her bingo blocks and helped her win the quarters given when they won at bingo.
From my personal experiences I’ve observed people notice altruistic behaviors and in turn reach out to others.
How unfortunate that a person would assume that small acts of kindness go unnoticed and have no positive ripple effect, instead of intentionally choosing to ignore the needs and pleasant interaction with others.
If all of us would go to the trouble to do good instead of writing it off as not worth the trouble or thinking they would appear to be “better” than others, the world would be a much happier place to live. I vote for kindness hands down!