Random acts of kindness.

Schism · 06-09-2007 03:28PM

I think we all do some sort of selfless act each day. Holding a door open for someone with an armful of stuff for example.

Edit : What does a groggy wasp look like?

Rossibaby · 06-09-2007 03:31PM

i was in a bar and twas a girls birthday there and not many people at it..so went up to dj on the sly and got him to play anonymous happy birthday request...he goes ''happy birthday to xxx xxxxx and i bet you know who thats from'' assumed i was her boyfriend was funny,she was happy though nice to make people smile.

always flirt with girls too and call the gorgeous and stuff,class when they go all red and smiley lol [and no i have a gf not interested in getting with them]

Exit · 06-09-2007 03:32PM

I presume somebody here saw Conor O'Clery on TV3 this morning talking about Chuck Feeney and the book he wrote on him - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Billionaire-Who-Wasnt-Secretly-Fortune/dp/1586483919

Very interesting story, and if I was ever that wealthy I'd love to do something similar with my money.

Here's an article by O'Clery - http://atlanticphilanthropies.org/news/news/chuck_feeney_interview_in_irish_america

Nunu · 06-09-2007 03:46PM

Any time I've to attend Vincents Hospital Outpatients Dept and had to get a waiting ticket, I always grab 2. I then wait till it is almost my turn then give any elderly person I see come in a while after me the ticket to go ahead of me....then again is it really kindness when I am making everyone else wait longer!

FOGOFUNK · 06-09-2007 03:46PM

I helped a blind geezer accross the road last week.

biko · 06-09-2007 03:48PM

DesF wrote:

There is no such thing as a selfless act imo.

The old altruism debate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_it_forward

Still, as long as you do nice things for other people it's fine if you feel good about yourself - it'll only serve to make you want to continue doing good deeds.

When Subway used to give out those stamps for eating there I'd collect enough for a free sub on my card - then give the card to a homeless person instead of money. At least he can't drink that.

Drummo · 06-09-2007 03:56PM

Maybe not so much an "RAoK" but I get a real kick out of returning peoples lost phones. I've found tonnes of them on busses etc. I just call "ma" or "da" or someone like that in their phonebook and arrange to return their phone. It's so cool seeing the look of releif and disbeleif on people's faces when you hand them back their phone.

Every single time, without fail, I've been offered a monetary reward which, to me, would defeat the purpose except once I did once take a box of chocolates which I gave to my bird because I felt it would be rude not to accept a gift someone specificaly got for me.

humanji · 06-09-2007 03:57PM

DesF wrote:

There is no such thing as a selfless act imo.

Bollox! Of course there is. I was in New York a while ago and a guy came out of a shop and dropped his wallet on the ground. I picked it up, ran after it and gave it to him. I didn't do it to make myself feel better, and I didn't do it for a reward. I didn't think about it at all, I just did it. It was just instinct.

And your 2 examples are rubbish. Someone rewarding you for a good deed doesn't take away from the what you did. If you ONLY helped the woman across the road to feel good about yourself, then that wouldn't be selfless. But if you saw a woman who needed help, and helped her for no other reason than to help her, then it's selfless.

Oriel · 06-09-2007 04:02PM

Cheeky_gal wrote:

I never walk past a homeless person without buying them a coffee and sandwich...

Hahaha, what bollocks.

_blank_ · 06-09-2007 04:03PM

humanji wrote:

Bollox!

Thanks for that, are you unable to have a discussion without resorting to pettiness like this?

Anyway, I'll ignore that for now.

humanji wrote:

Of course there is. I was in New York a while ago and a guy came out of a shop and dropped his wallet on the ground. I picked it up, ran after it and gave it to him. I didn't do it to make myself feel better, and I didn't do it for a reward. I didn't think about it at all, I just did it. It was just instinct.

Come now, of course you thought about it.

You had two choices.

1. Go after the dude who had lost his wallet.
2. Don't go after the dude who lost his wallet.

You would have felt bad about not going after him, and leaving the wallet to some other fate.

Therefore, you went after the dude, so you wouldn't feel bad.

humanji wrote:

And your 2 examples are rubbish.

Wow, all the negativity towards me. What did I do apart from offer a differing opinion?

Jesus Wept · 06-09-2007 04:04PM

biko wrote:

The old altruism debate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_it_forward

Still, as long as you do nice things for other people it's fine if you feel good about yourself - it'll only serve to make you want to continue doing good deeds.

When Subway used to give out those stamps for eating there I'd collect enough for a free sub on my card - then give the card to a homeless person instead of money. At least he can't drink that.

Yea, I saw that movie, I liked it!

super_furry · 06-09-2007 04:06PM

jebuz wrote:

a lady dropped her bike and I picked it up, saddle do says she!

I hope you're not yanking our chain. I'm getting tyred of these random puns.

Tar.Aldarion · 06-09-2007 04:34PM

Rossibaby wrote:

i was in a bar and twas a girls birthday there and not many people at it..so went up to dj on the sly and got him to play anonymous happy birthday request...he goes ''happy birthday to xxx xxxxx and i bet you know who thats from'' assumed i was her boyfriend was funny,she was happy though nice to make people smile.

always flirt with girls too and call the gorgeous and stuff,class when they go all red and smiley lol [and no i have a gf not interested in getting with them]

Oh my god, that was you!
*blushes*

Glowing · 06-09-2007 04:42PM

Nunu wrote:

Any time I've to attend Vincents Hospital Outpatients Dept and had to get a waiting ticket, I always grab 2. I then wait till it is almost my turn then give any elderly person I see come in a while after me the ticket to go ahead of me....then again is it really kindness when I am making everyone else wait longer!

Aww bless!

Sam Vimes · 06-09-2007 04:49PM

I've returned phones as most people have. By registered post once

while working in a phone shop i took someone's number wrong and moved it to a different network so the customer had the wrong number and someone else lost their number. After sorting it out i rang the person whose number had been moved to apologise and it turned out she was about ten and was very upset about the 4 euro credit she had lost so i topped her up online by a tenner.

One of the nicest things done for me was this. I was in germany with a few friends and we were using a tourist map to look for a chinese restaurant. We asked a woman walking her dog and she said the map was wrong so we asked if there were any in the area. She said there was one about ten minutes away and started to tell us the way but then said she'd give us a lift. She put her dog in the boot and gave 3 random irish lads a lift to the restaurant. Could've been very dangerous for her tbh

Love2love · 06-09-2007 05:58PM

Commander Vimes wrote:

One of the nicest things done for me was this. I was in germany with a few friends and we were using a tourist map to look for a chinese restaurant. We asked a woman walking her dog and she said the map was wrong so we asked if there were any in the area. She said there was one about ten minutes away and started to tell us the way but then said she'd give us a lift. She put her dog in the boot and gave 3 random irish lads a lift to the restaurant. Could've been very dangerous for her tbh

Could've been dangerous for you more like, the women here are built like tanks!

Zaph · 06-09-2007 06:36PM

I work in the IFSC and pass by Connolly Station and Busaras most days. There are always tourists around the area staring at maps of Dublin with a bemused look on their faces. Unless I'm in a hurry I'll usually make a point of trying to point them in the right direction. As well as helping them get to where they want to go quicker, it has the added bonus of depriving some little skanger in Talbot Street or the surrounding area of an easy target.

Love2love · 06-09-2007 06:47PM

Chicken soup for the soul....

That book made me cry. TBH, I can't remember the last time I done something good for anybody but myself. I don't get out much anymore but I hope this thread will inspire me to do more thing for the sake of mankind....

I just gave away my entire DVD collection for free to somebody who just broke up with their girlfriend, does that count?????

Zaph · 06-09-2007 07:00PM

Love2love wrote:

I just gave away my entire DVD collection for free to somebody who just broke up with their girlfriend, does that count?????

Depends on whether they were all comedies to cheer him up or a load of gloomy, depressing films, in which case you may want to keep him away from sharp objects

Clare Bear · 06-09-2007 07:07PM

big b wrote:

When I lived in Scotland, I used to occasionally pay for an old woman's shopping , if she was in front of me in the Q, looked skint & was only getting a few things.
And every festive season, I'd be shopping & see some obviously not well-off family looking at cheap presents for their kids. Sometimes I'd drop 40 quid or whatever into their basket & either say Merry Christmas or just walk on, sometimes I'd tap them on the shoulder, hand out the cash & say " you just dropped this"

Never once had it thrown back in my face, which I fear would happen here. Also, some of the wealthiest Irish people I know dress like knackers- it's much harder to tell here.

And I got more pleasure from the knowledge that someone maybe smiled that day who wouldn't have otherwise, than from any sense of self-satisfaction.

Tough guy, eh?:rolleyes:

I must be having an emotional day cause that just made me cry.....I like this thread

(Sap!!)

Cheeky_gal · 06-09-2007 07:13PM

Oriel wrote:

Hahaha, what bollocks.

Ah see that's where you're wrong dude...ya see cheeky girl is not as bad as you all think... she's actually very decent!

It's true tho...I normally risk it with a tuna melt and black coffee, seems to be a favourite of theirs!

- bo - · 06-09-2007 07:54PM

I remember a couple of years back some fella was with drawing Id say maybe around 400 quid from an ATM, he tok his card from the machine and FORGOT to take the money! I was next in line and noticed the wad of notes a few seconds later, had to leg it after him down the street!

Commander Vimes wrote:

One of the nicest things done for me was this. I was in germany with a few friends and we were using a tourist map to look for a chinese restaurant. We asked a woman walking her dog and she said the map was wrong so we asked if there were any in the area. She said there was one about ten minutes away and started to tell us the way but then said she'd give us a lift. She put her dog in the boot and gave 3 random irish lads a lift to the restaurant. Could've been very dangerous for her tbh

Similar story with me and a mate in June arrived at the airport for a festival and asked 2 men in the airport car park which direction the fesival site was in so we could walk the couple of km to it (had 2 very heavy bags with us). So they just threw our bags in the boot, told us to hop in the back and they'd drive us there! drove as far into the site as they could, and wouldnt even accept the price of a pint off us, dead sound

humanji · 06-09-2007 09:37PM

DesF wrote:

Thanks for that, are you unable to have a discussion without resorting to pettiness like this?

It's not pettiness, it's swearing. If it offends you then I apologise.

DesF wrote:

Come now, of course you thought about it.

You had two choices.

1. Go after the dude who had lost his wallet.
2. Don't go after the dude who lost his wallet.

You would have felt bad about not going after him, and leaving the wallet to some other fate.

Therefore, you went after the dude, so you wouldn't feel bad.

No. A guy dropped his wallet. I picked it up and gave it to him. I didn't sit pondering the consequences both for and against the act and how they would effect my future well-being. I just picked it up and gave it to him.

When you post on boards, are you doing it simply because you'd feel bad for not doing it? No (or at least, I hope not

), you just do it when you feel like it. It's possible to act without needing or wanting a reward.

DesF wrote:

Wow, all the negativity towards me. What did I do apart from offer a differing opinion?

There's a difference between attacking a post and attacking a poster. Where:

DesF wrote:

Thanks for that, are you unable to have a discussion without resorting to pettiness like this?

is a derogatory remark aimed at me,

humanji wrote:

And your 2 examples are rubbish.

is a derogatory remark aimed at your post. It's different. Regardless, I was pointing out that your examples were loaded. They aimed to give the impression that a reward was desired. That isn't the case, though.

Terry · 06-09-2007 10:13PM

I once found a wallet with €350 in it.
I kindly treated myself to a good night out.

Sleepy · 06-09-2007 10:56PM

Love random acts of kindness. I volunteer with a charity but don't think that counts as random.

Random acts I've carried out myself include handing a stranger a joint at a festival, always leave parking tickets with anything left on them on the meter or hand them to someone, put up tents for strangers at gigs, have put many drunk girls into taxis home, once waited with a girl who was in an absolute state for an hour and a half in the pissing rain while she wore my jacket for her boyfriend to come collect her after she rang him on my phone because she'd lost her own as well as her wallet and jacket...

I just love the idea of fandom acts of kindness, can't say I entirely believe in karma but I think people do tend to pay things forward...

Jesus Wept · 07-09-2007 12:39AM

Well I tend to help someone out when I see the opportunity, but I don't recall any random acts of kindness in my direction. :mad::(:p

Flashraziel · 07-09-2007 02:14AM

Woke up one morning after a heavy night out. Was sitting in the kitchen eating my coco pops when a strange girl walks in.

Her: Morning, Thanks for letting me stay in the spare room.
Me: No problem, eh, what was the name again?

Hung around for most of the day, nursing our hangovers and still know each other to this day.

It still counts even if you dont remember making the decision doesnt it?
(and no, nothing happened)

Sawa · 07-09-2007 02:58AM

Once me and my ex had gone to the cinema and bought tickets for a film. Something came up and we couldn't go so we walked down Parnell Street on the way to our bus and I must have asked about 50 or so pairs of people whether they were going to the cinema and if they'd like two free tickets. We got so many weird looks and people just looking slightly disgusted!? It was only when we got half way down O'Connell street did someone accept them, albeit reluctantly, "Eh, I might go, i'll see..."

Same thing happened in Berlin, tried to give away a weekly train pass that had one or two days left on it, no one wanted them! I gave them to some drunk hobo who hadn't a clue what was going on in the end.

Sometimes it's so hard to give stuff away and be nice!

thefinalstage · 07-09-2007 04:18AM

Sawa wrote:

Once me and my ex had gone to the cinema and bought tickets for a film. Something came up and we couldn't go so we walked down Parnell Street on the way to our bus and I must have asked about 50 or so pairs of people whether they were going to the cinema and if they'd like two free tickets. We got so many weird looks and people just looking slightly disgusted!? It was only when we got half way down O'Connell street did someone accept them, albeit reluctantly, "Eh, I might go, i'll see..."

Same thing happened in Berlin, tried to give away a weekly train pass that had one or two days left on it, no one wanted them! I gave them to some drunk hobo who hadn't a clue what was going on in the end.

Sometimes it's so hard to give stuff away and be nice!

Call frr from adverts next time. He'll take anything :P.

wyk · 07-09-2007 05:01AM

I enjoy helping people out. But I also enjoy the fact it helps us all out. I have always believed that when we hurt each other - we hurt ourselves. And when we help each other, we help ourselves. Call it Karma, or what have ya. Good rarely comes from bad. And even then, it is still tainted. Why not start off right?

Wez

DesF wrote:

There is no such thing as a selfless act imo.

Donate a million quid to charity, get the press involved, get to feel all good about yourself.

Help a little old lady cross the road, she says thanks and tells all her mates, get to feel good about yourself.

You do nice things because you get to feel good about yourself, that little rush of endorphins you get.

Myself, I never do anything for anyone that doesn't involve me being renumerated in some way.

Random acts of kindness.

Comments