N200WN From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 783 posts, RR: 7 Posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 909 times:
I'm sure most of you have heard the saying or seen the bumper sticker that says "Practice Random Acts of Kindness."
I was wondering if anyone here on A.net has ever done such a thing. What did you do and why? For example have you ever been at the drive thru window at a fast food restaurant and picked up the tab for the car behind you? Or have you ever paid the toll for the car behind you when crossing a bridge?
MiCorazonAzul From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 902 times:
Quoting N200WN (Thread starter): For example have you ever been at the drive thru window at a fast food restaurant and picked up the tab for the car behind you? Or have you ever paid the toll for the car behind you when crossing a bridge?
Those aren't acts of kindness but acts of stupidity. I would say an act of kindness would be something you did for people who NEEDED help.
Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 899 times:
I have, but that's the extent of my admission. Random acts of kindness are fun as long as you just *do it* and then leave. If you wait for the reaction, it isn't a random act anymore and you might not feel so kind when you see how the person handles it.
KyleLosAngeles From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 214 posts, RR: 9 Reply 3, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 893 times:
Quoting Jmc1975 (Reply 2): I have, but that's the extent of my admission. Random acts of kindness are fun as long as you just *do it* and then leave. If you wait for the reaction, it isn't a random act anymore and you might not feel so kind when you see how the person handles it.
redngold
Interesting way to look at it. Some people find it awkward to receive an act of kindness. By just 'doing it' and leaving, you don't put them in the position to have to acknowledge the act.
Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 890 times:
Yep, then it's just passing it on to someone without attaching strings. A free gift.
Why is that quote showing up at JMC1975? I posted Reply 2...
AerorobNZ From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6325 posts, RR: 14 Reply 5, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 885 times:
Quoting KyleLosAngeles (Reply 3): Interesting way to look at it. Some people find it awkward to receive an act of kindness. By just 'doing it' and leaving, you don't put them in the position to have to acknowledge the act.
That's definitely the way to do it - it's like playing secret santa if you do it right...
N200WN From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 783 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 885 times:
Quoting Redngold (Reply 2): Random acts of kindness are fun as long as you just *do it* and then leave. If you wait for the reaction, it isn't a random act anymore and you might not feel so kind when you see how the person handles it.
I agree, it's not something that you would do and then stick around and wait for a thankyou or a reaction.
N200WN From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 783 posts, RR: 7 Reply 7, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 882 times:
Quoting MiCorazonAzul (Reply 1): I would say an act of kindness would be something you did for people who NEEDED help.
Well it's supposed to be about kindness and doing something unexpected for someone that you don't know. Yeah I probably wouldn't buy lunch for the guy behind me driving the Lexus, but I'm sure the mom with three kids driving the '85 Oldsmobile would appreciate it.
Concentriq From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 368 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 875 times:
i once saw that bumper sticker with some words cut off, and so it read "Commit random and senseless acts". I thought it was pretty funny.
I am convinced however that no matter how altruistic we want to think we are when we do good deeds, the reason why we do it, is pretty selfish: we want to feel better about ourselves, as in "I am a good man, I helped someone today". or maybe im just sick and twisted person.
Doona From Sweden, joined Feb 2005, 3706 posts, RR: 14 Reply 9, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 863 times:
Quoting N200WN (Reply 7): Well it's supposed to be about kindness and doing something unexpected for someone that you don't know.
I don't understand this. Why does it have to be something unexpected? So instead of giving a homeless person some money, I should give him a glass of egg nogg, because he doesn't expect it?
Instead of paying the highway toll or buying lunch, why not do something that actually helps?
Cheers
Mats
Sure, we're concerned for our lives. Just not as concerned as saving 9 bucks on a roundtrip to Ft. Myers.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 10, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 863 times:
There was this 5 yr old boy who was challenged by his buddies to hit & old beggar man over his head for Rs 100.The kid accepted the bet & took the money but gave it to the old man.Is that Kindness.
The kid lost the bet.The "Buddies" still have not got their money back.The kid found new friends & The old man ate a good meal I presume that evening.
Was that a good deed
Kevinl1011 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 2964 posts, RR: 51 Reply 11, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 844 times:
Quoting N200WN (Thread starter): For example have you ever been at the drive thru window at a fast food restaurant and picked up the tab for the car behind you?
I did exactly that at a Jack in the Box with an Upland Ca. cop behind me. His bill was less than $5.00 and thought I'd show a little appreciation. My mothers' family is full of cops going back over 100 years in CLE. (my great grandfather worked the Sam Sheppard case,It was like the OJ Simpson case of its' day).
Anyway, one night my son and I had a little "speed contest" in Upland and we got chased into Alta Loma, where we live. At first the cop was really hyper and wanted to impound our vehicles, but we talked him down and he only wrote my son for excessive speed @ 54mph, 1mph below the limit that excludes traffic school.
I feel that the random act of buying an Upland Cop lunch, bought me some good cop Karma.
The real pisser was that my future ex wife was in the car telling the cop to ticket ME as well! I think the cop felt sorry for me.
Kaddyuk From Wallis and Futuna, joined Nov 2001, 4125 posts, RR: 28 Reply 13, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 831 times:
My presence in this forum is a random act of kindness
Seriously, i've never heard of anyone ever doing this but it kinda make sense, i mean the world would be a better place if we all did this every once in a while, that spare $5 can make a whole lotta life for someone...
Whoever said "laughter is the best medicine" never had Gonorrhea
Texan From New Zealand, joined Dec 2003, 4204 posts, RR: 53 Reply 14, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 810 times:
Quoting MiCorazonAzul (Reply 1): Those aren't acts of kindness but acts of stupidity.
So it is only kind if you help someone who has less money than you and is less fortunate than you? That's pretty much complete and utter crap. If someone's car is broken down on the side of the road and they look like they need help, it does not matter if they are driving a new Mercedes Benz or a 1985 Buick Century. They need help, and if you can help them, why wouldn't you?
And yes, I try to often act in ways that are kind and help others.
Texan
"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
Diamond From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 3279 posts, RR: 66 Reply 15, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 800 times:
It's not about 'helping' someone that may or may not need help. It's about making a point to express kindness.
Someone used examples which involved money - and that has distorted the concept. There are a lot of acts of kindness that have nothing to do with money or material things.
I have had total strangers do some really nice things for me, for no reason at all.
Matt27 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 796 times:
Quoting Diamond (Reply 15): There are a lot of acts of kindness that have nothing to do with money or material things.
For many money and material things don't mean anything. What many people want is just someone who listens to them or just to have somebody who is there for them.
Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 51 Reply 17, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 757 times:
Quoting Diamond (Reply 15): There are a lot of acts of kindness that have nothing to do with money or material things.
This is true. While it's not "random" anymore, after a snowstorm I usually go over to an old friend's house and shovel her walks and the driveway apron. I don't ask for her to come out and acknowledge me (she's busy with the baby) - I just do it and leave.
Nighthawk From UK - Scotland, joined Sep 2001, 4988 posts, RR: 38 Reply 18, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 743 times:
for those in the UK, Scott Mills, a radio presenter on radio 1, often features "random acts of kindness". It started with him doing random acts, such as the time he invited a young girl who had been sick down to london for a day trip. He heard she was a huge mcfly fan, so arranged for her to come to the studio, where mcfly were waiting for her.
After that people started phoning in to tell them of the random ats they had done/recieved, such as one girl who had been stranded far from home, and had no money for the train home. I think she went to a shop for cashback and instead the shopkeeper gave her the money for the train home.
TNboy From Australia, joined Mar 2002, 1131 posts, RR: 22 Reply 19, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 738 times:
People who perform random acts of kindness generally do it without stopping to think about it, because it is just part of their nature, and who they are.
Incidentally, the expression 'random acts of kindness' is over-cute and really irritates me, for some reason. It sounds like it should have little pictures of flowers and birds painted around it. It shouldn't be something that screams out for recognition. Or maybe I'm just a
Canuckpaxguy From Canada, joined Sep 2003, 1510 posts, RR: 56 Reply 20, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 710 times:
I accidentally posted this in the "unkindness" thread. I guess ain't gots the smarts today.
I got up early to shovel my driveway this morning, and since I finished early, I also did my neighbour's driveway. They're a bit older, so I took care of it and salted it down for them too.
I doubt they've any idea who did it...but I felt great about it all day.
ANCFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 699 times:
Quoting MiCorazonAzul (Reply 1):
Those aren't acts of kindness but acts of stupidity. I would say an act of kindness would be something you did for people who NEEDED help.
Lots of elderly folk in my Condominium Building (nooooo - not I boyz and girlz). Postman always leaves packages down in the outer lobby. I'll take them up to my elderly neighbors . . . same with their newspapers in morning. NO big deal - I'm going that way anyway.
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Reply 22, posted (7 years 5 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 650 times:
Friday I was going to spend $7 to go to a movie with the school this week but I bought our whole socials class candycanes (bought from another class who was selling them to raise money for a family that couldn't afford to buy their kids christmas presents) with it instead, does that count?
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