Quote from RicochetOrange;147141:
The reason to help someone is to get a feeling of satisfaction, from helping someone.
But now whats the point of making a whole "project" about it that most people are either not going to hear about or not bother to do anything.
And, what is drawing/painting/writing/etc going to really do to help someone? Sure your going to give them something nice to look at or read, but how does that show them that you actually care about them?
Ever hear the saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"? By working together, we can often do way better than we otherwise could. In many situations this mutually beneficial effect is obvious, and everybody can agree to work toward a common goal that results in an optimal payoff, in econ terms.
Sometimes this optimal payoff is a bit removed, isn't immediately realized in the short term. Sometimes there are reasons for a player to "defect", or pursue a selfish course of action that results in higher payoff for them, but which screws over other players. Over the long haul, this can actually result in lower rewards for the defector as well, as other players mobilize to minimize their losses.
I believe that being selfish is an act of defection.
You can check out the wiki article on
the prisoner's dilemma, one of the more infamous examples of game theory, if you're interested (see other game situations too, pretty insightful stuff!). My point is that by helping others, you do benefit in return. Subtly, indirectly, and at a net loss, but you do get something back. You help someone get up, and make their day a little brighter. You raise them up out of the water, if you will.
At the same time, you're only one person, one little island. You don't wield much power, just an isolated ripple in an ocean of billions of other islands.
But by each act of kindness you're making a statement of what could be, furthering that grand vision of what the world would be like if everyone were to raise each other out of the water. Sure, because of your generosity, you won't be a mountain peak, but you will be surrounded by warm land, as will everyone else. And this is the dream, the common goal, the optimal payoff, that we all dream about but balk at moving toward, because we fear that nobody else would be as damned idealistic as us.
Abstractions aside, in concrete terms, by helping others, you make the world a better place. You get less than you give, but everyone benefits. You benefit, your friends, family, other people. For generations to come. Perhaps you will never break even, but your children will reap the dividends of your sacrifice, perhaps your ripple will help them to push harder, so that by the time your great-grandchildren come along they'll be profiting from your investment. Also be mindful that the world we live in now would be a lot worse if past people had never made their ripples and left us their positive legacy.
The video was relatively soft, I felt the need to 2x my volume. Helped that I was using earbuds, max vol didn't cut it on my speakers. Good luck Dusk, hope you guys make waves.