Why do people find it so hard to believe in selfless acts of kindness?

Question

Whenever I go out of my way to help someone like giving food to the homeless, giving a person hope by having a uplifting conversation or just holding a door open to people who can barely walk or have their hands full I do so without any thought of benefit for myself. I mean yes I smile when I see that I have made someone's day but that is a natural reaction to the good deed I would have thought... 

99.8% of the time I put other people before my own needs because I believe that 10,000 lives are far more important than 1 life, I strongly dislike the idea of being the type of person where it's every man or woman for themselves as that offends me.

I believe what I do is right as people should help others without expecting anything in return, it's just a matter of manners, kindness and morals at the end of the day, the only way the world will get better is if people selflessly helped each other more and less "what can I gain from this" and maybe people won't be so skeptical on this subject

Answer

"Ever learning, never coming to a knowledge of the truth."

It is remarkable how some people can study and study and never notice the most basic principles. They assume that an entrepreneur must be somehow different from other people, different thoughts or skills or training or ... what? European aristocracy knew what the difference was: "breeding and upbringing". But in America aristocracy is out of favor so their pronouncements are ignored. We reject that stuff and insist that every man is the master of his own destiny. 

Well, reality always wins. Consider a child who goes door to door selling Christmas cards, as I did about a thousand years ago. A child is so cute, his energy so appealing, that people will buy even if they don't really need what he offers. It also helped a lot that the world was fairly prosperous at the time and the town was populated by decent, kind people. Go forward a couple of years and the kid is no longer cute, his energy is seen as boisterous, the world is not so prosperous, decent people have moved on to nicer locations, and the town has been taken over by drifters and losers who didn't have enough money or brains to go someplace better. Now people will not buy from the kid and insult him for even coming around. The kid draws the obvious conclusion "Nobody will buy from me now." He never again tries to found a business.

At this point the anthropologists will make up a hundred reasons to explain how the kid made his own decision, he could have decided to redouble his efforts or try another neighborhood, or blah blah. Well, yes, he could have. But the results would still depend on what potential customers were available to him, that is to say, what he was given to work with. Even arrogant Americans will try to give their children successful experiences. And that leads you to that line in the bible that is seldom understood: "Give and it shall be given unto you." Preachers use that to solicit donations, but Jesus was not soliciting donations when he said it, he was urging his listeners to give to each other. Every gift leaves one person better able to give to someone else, and the giving improves the overall spirit of life in the community. In other words, if you buy a box of Christmas cards from the neighbor kid, he might grow up to found the business that pulls your community out of a recession. Give and it shall be given unto you. Get it now?

Answer

Today's society is becoming primarily media based and less people are actually thinking for themselves and doing what is right for them or others, instead thinking first of what impact their task will have on other peoples opinions of them. 
There is also the legal side of society where is a man offers to help a woman or young girl, he has a fair chance of being reported for attempted abduction or rape or being a pedo. This can apply the Vice-Versa of course!
I think it is about time society released itself from worrying what others think of them and just be comfortable in helping others where you can. Be proud of yourself SledgeHAMR91.

Answer

People find it hard to believe in selfless acts of kindness, without a selfish motive because they are ignorant. They do not realize that we and the others whom we serve are all manifestations of the one Divine. We may appear to be different bodies that we wear on the outside, but inside we are all the same Soul. Therefore when we have kindness and compassion, love and service for others, it is actually serving ourself. The Soul in me serving the Soul in another is doing nothing less than praying to God and I am the very God to whom I pray. This is Self-realization and God-realization. Because we live in ignorance, we cannot see what is within, we only see what is made up of bone and skin. We have to go deeper to realize the Truth.

Why do people find it so hard to believe in selfless acts of kindness?

Answers (5)