A Renaissance

I know that a majority of you don't care about what I'm going to say, but I feel like saying it, and here seems to be the place to do so I could concoct on short notice.

I suppose I should start this off, and explain a little about myself. I am not racist, sexist, or religious. I am, however, an asshole. I enjoy racist jokes. I make fun of poor people, fat people, stupid people, popular people, ugly people, skinny people, druggies, Christians, Mormons, Buddhists, gay people, straight people, those faggoty girls that make out with their friends for attention, scene kiddies, rockers, thugs, wanksters, rednecks, hippies, pacifists, republicans, soldiers, terrorists, jews, and, well, you get the idea. The point is, as far as I am concerned, I am an asshole. But I guess I have a bit of a nice side to me, and that's the point to this.

Today, as I was walking through a mall, I saw a mother struggling to open a door so that she could then push her stroller out. I watched two men look right at her (they were walking in front of me), and then look away, and keep walking. I stopped, held the door for her, and went on my way. On my drive home tonight, I saw someone's big-as-fuck garage sale sign that had fallen over, and was now in the middle of the lane, in several pieces. I drove around it, got maybe 1/4th of a mile away, then turned around and proceeded to pick up the pieces, and throw them onto the side of the road, out of harm's way. While on vacation, I was stopped at a walmart picking up a few supplies, and noticed that the lady parked a slot over was locked out of her car. I did my best to help, and we wound up getting her door unlocked.

I didn't write this because I want brownie points from all of you, I wrote this because it caused a simple realization: As far as the average individual is concerned, we don't give two shits about anyone we don't know. This realization makes me feel sick. I have decided that, from here on out, I'm going to take the extra 10 seconds to do the good deed, regardless of whether or not anyone is paying attention. If I can help one person, and make one person's day better, then all my work was worth it.

I am not saying that I, or anyone else, ought to start donating to charities or anything like that, but just the little things, like grabbing the door, or helping someone pick up dropped books. This is what we should be doing. Everyone. It's like we, as a society, have quit caring about anyone else. It makes me sad to think about. I may not change the world, but if I can improve one person's day, then, well, it's all worth it.

If you're looking at this, going "why is this titled 'A Renaissance'?" I'll tell you simply: because I think that's what we need. We need to take a mild step back, to when people used to at least pretend to care about one another. It's the small actions that make the biggest difference.

Edited minorly for Xz's sake. Are these proper paragraphs? Fuck no. That means a true rewriting to do that, and it's 5am! I'm going to bed god dammit.

 

JaFIaJ, that was uncalled for.

DF: I suppose you are familiar with the phrase "familiarity breeds contempt". When we help out someone we know we have the unconcious desire for them to do the same for us one day in return. However, most of the time, this doesn't actually happen, which is why we stop helping them, even though we still love them. It's human for us to have everything all levelled out and balanced, and if we do something for someone we want something in return.

However, in a situation like you described, helping out strangers means that we (those of us who actually do that sort of thing) don't 'expect' anything in return - perhaps something like Fate will intervene and help us back. When there isn't a face to remind us every day that a favour is owed, we even begin to forget what it is that we did for them in the first place. Even so, we still want 'something' in return, be it a lucky break at a parking metre, someone holding the door open for us when we least expect it, or having a wish come true.

Not to burst your bubble, DF, but it's human to want some balance. Even I'm expecting something back in posting this on the internet. Hell, one of the reasons why forums are classed as whiny sons-of-bitches with nothing else to do but post random things are still looking for something. Gratification? Justification? Recognition? Attention? Nobody knows, but the human in all of us just want something in return.

I can leave it to someone else to tell you "that's what religion is for", "nobody does anything for nothing", "karma" etc, but take heart in knowing that at least this stranger is generally a nice person like you.

 

As it happens, I entirely agree. Normal society has gone down the shitter. It's a sad, sad day when we stop to help others and they keep assuming we want money or something. When did it become so fucked up to be polite and helpful?

 

Perhaps I'm unique, but I lack this. Yes, I do hope that, by opening thousands of doors for thousands of women who're trying to move a babystroller through it by themselves, I'll some day get let go on a parking ticket, but that isn't what motivates me. I find the idea of refusing to do something because there's no immediate reward saddening (and yes, I know that's an oversimplification of your words). There shouldn't need to be a cookie in the hands of the lady who I held the door open for! I did it because she needed help, and I know that, had I walked away and not held the door for her, I would have felt guilty about it, and spent a good portion of my day thinking about the fact I didn't help her, and antagonizing over it.

On the upside: it's good to see you speak on here.

DE: Thanks, I can always use another recommend towards canonization. I apologize for my lack of paragraphs: I was ranting. I'm going to bed now, but maybe I'll sort that into paragraphs when I awaken.

Xiao: Thank you.

 

Fish came in and woke me at stupid o'clock last night just to tell me he posted that fucking picture. Thanks a lot, Matt.


To be fair, we already go the extra mile to help others, we just don't itemize our good deeds and place them on display as proof of our humanity. If you were truly all "Yay, I'm a boyscout!" you wouldn't actually need to tell us all about it in an attempt to validate your existence.

 

Don't be harsh rosie. Let the man rant; I heard the internet is a good place for that.

It sounds to me you've been stricken with a case of Old Man Syndrome. It's when you start taking in observations of how evil and non-caring the world is and how much better it was in the old day. When really the world has always been evil and non-caring. Until we get invaded by an alien race and Mankind finally comes together for the common good you should just try your best not to get too depressed and keep helping people out.

 

I do not want to look bitter, but I think that only will happen if there is someone who is strong and wise enough to lead them. Because they still have to learn to cooperate with each other.

 

That is true; sometimes mankind will follow the wrong kind of leader, and let their selves to disaster. I only hope that this time the leader will lead us to prosperity without dictatorially tendency.

 

I apologize for your being woken up. I've to admit, it is a funny picture. I'mn't after validation of my existence. I'm pretty sure I lost the ability to get that from a forum around 15. I posted this in the hope that I'mn't the only one who looks at society, and sees that there's something wrong with the fact that nobody does anything for anyone else.


Xz: It depends entirely on the situation. In this case, I probably would've antagonized over not helping her, but there's a lot of times previously I haven't helped people, and didn't think twice about it.

 

The problem, DF, is that you still live in Washington. It's the most beautiful state in the union, but it's full of assholes. People here in the South are generally more hospitable and respectful of those around them, and even today you will hear people say things like sir, ma'am, please and thank you. It's also not unusual to be driving and have someone you don't even know throw you a wave and a smile.

 

Well DF, nothing is done for free. You try to make the world better, so the world will be a better place for you - or more altruistic - for everybody. That's not a strange wish, everyone wants to live in the best (from his point of view) world possible. It's true - if everyone would do the same thing as you, the world would be a better place. But the world won't be a better place because people won't do the same thing as you do. A single good act/a single good person/a organisation of good people will always be a small fraction of the whole population, which doesn't give a damn. To make the place a better place, whole humanity would have to be stimulated to do something, which is against the very human nature. Because we are not angels but animals, and in nature all that pure altruism does is attracting parasites and slowly destroying the host.

 

I seem to recall something about altruism actually being beneficial to humans from an evolutionary point of view...
Anyway. I think it's good to do what one can to help others in our day to day lives. And I don't usually think everyone's an asshole - sure, people do really mean things to each other, but they also help each other; mostly in small things (at least with strangers) but they still do. I travel by bus very often, and I see people giving up seats for the elderly/pregnant women/people with babies, without being prompted by the driver. I see people helping old or disabled people get up the bus. Once or twice when I was crying for whatever reason people came up to me and tried to cheer me up a bit. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by people's callousness toward each other and become convinced that everyone's an asshole, because bad things tend to stick out more, but a lot of people do care. At least a bit.

 

There is no way selflessly sacrificing yourself to others can be beneficial, especially in an evolutionary sense. Having every member of a species sacrifice themselves to others will quickly kill the species. Evolution is and always has been a purely selfish endeavor - that's why it works.


As for DF - I do the same things. I don't go out of my way to find people to help, but if I'm walking down the street and see somebody struggling with a door and a baby, I'll grab the door and wish them a good day. Or there is a grocery store around here (Big Y) that gives out little plastic coins to get sale prices. I never use the things because I'm in there so rarely, so when I walk out I give them to the first person I see to let them save some money.

My reason for doing it? Pride. Pure and simple; I get a sense of pride out of doing the right thing. The world sucks so just try to make your immediate surroundings better and more tolerable for you.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism#S ... viewpoints and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism_in_animals have some information on that.
Being altruistic doesn't necessarily mean killing yourself for somebody else, either.

 

I used to go out of my way to help people, but it takes to long to level up that way.