After receiving some feedback from some people, I think I have come to update my beliefs, and I this post should be enough to also convince you too.
While our community has long been an advocate of effective giving, it's time to face the facts: ideas regarding effective giving are far too niche.
We need something more relatable, more accessible, and dare I say, more spontaneous. Enter the new era of altruism: Random Acts of Kindness!
What's wrong with effective giving?
Effective giving is simply too sterile and impersonal. It lacks the human touch that truly makes a difference in people's lives. On the other hand, random acts of kindness come with their own unique benefits. They can brighten someone's day, foster a sense of community, and even inspire more acts of kindness.
The average person doesn't necessarily have the time, patience, or interest to delve into the complex world of charitable impact analysis.
Mosquito bed nets for malaria prevention are a classic example of effective giving that has long been championed by our niche community. But let's face it: these nets are not particularly relatable to the average person. Most people have never even seen a mosquito bed net in their daily lives, let alone experienced the deadly threat of malaria. It can alienate potential donors who prefer more emotionally engaging causes.
How can random acts of kindness possibly compete with the calculated impact of effective giving?
Now, I know what you're thinking. "How can random acts of kindness possibly compete with the calculated impact of effective giving?"
I could attempt to present a logical argument or employ mathematical calculations to demonstrate the superiority of this concept, but that would miss the mark entirely! In fact, compelling you to engage in mathematical reasoning would be contrary to the spirit of a random act of kindness.
Instead of dwelling on such distant issues and relying on complex calculations to guide our giving, we should focus on acts of kindness that we can easily relate to and experience the direct impact of. So, in the interest of kindness, I'll spare you the number-crunching and invite you to comfortably trust and accept the idea as true.
Why can't I do both random acts of kindness and effective giving?
Well, as you know, humans are creatures of habit and limited multitasking capabilities. Some philosophers have shown[1] that each person possesses a finite amount of kindness stored within them, much like a battery. Attempting to do both random acts of kindness and effective giving at the same time would simply deplete our "kindness reserves" at an alarming rate, leaving us drained and incapable of doing any good whatsoever.
How can I get started?
Some things you could do to get started:
- Holding the door open for a stranger.
- Paying for the coffee of the person behind them in line.
- Complimenting someone's shoes.
It's simple, it's intuitive, and it's contagious. Random acts of kindness are just so much more relatable.
Let us march into this brave new world of altruism, armed with nothing but our kindness and our spontaneous goodwill.
Yours unpredictably,
An Everyday-acting Altruist
- ^
this citation is not provided as a random act of kindness to your time