Raw Friday means not shopping but helping people, even strangers, without expecting anything back. Much needed in these days of refugee crisis.
Have you heard about the ”Bystander Effect”? Usually it goes like this ”Why should I help when there’s someone else who could do it?”. Because helping will also make YOU feel better. That’s the effect of altruism.
1. If you’re in trouble, pick out one person in the crowd. Making eye contact with a stranger brings some ”we-ness” into that stranger’s perception of the situation.
2. If you’re a bystander, take action. Someone has to stand up first when in a bystander situation. Let that person be you.
3. Take advantage of our natural tendencies toward altruism. Assume the best in people, not the worst. Many people have a natural desire to help and will do so if you give them the chance.
4. Try not to worry about the consequences of helping. It’s true that people who intervene in an emergency may be putting themselves at risk. But the alternative is to spend the rest of your life wondering if your actions might have saved someone else.
5. Model altruism and helping to the young. By showing that you have the guts to take charge of situations and help others in need, children will gain important lessons from you.
It’s up to us to decide whether to help our fellow humans when they’re in need. We can be passive bystanders or we can step in and intervene. Within each of us is the capacity for heroism.
