When Giving, Keep your Camera at Home

To show generosity towards others is a noble quality in humans.

It's a festive season, where many give out and receive presents. But then, even before this period this has been happening since time immemorial. There are many posts and videos online of people giving to the less privileged ones and who saw it fit to take evidence of their actions (for reasons I can't exactly figure out).

According to my own knowledge of Giving, you want to help others willingly. You do this without expecting absolutely anything in return. However, the sole purpose of your generosity is ruined the moment you take pictures of yourself and those you are helping and start posting it online for people to see.

True generosity involves doing something nice for someone who will never find out or who has no way of repaying you. It's an offering given freely, with no strings attached and no expectations.

But some vehemently argue this. They believe showing and telling the world when you help others will make everyone take up the spirit of giving. It will move others to emulate them and give, thereby making the world 'a better place'. Or so they think. This logic is flawed.

Emulation is not in the proof, it's in the deed itself. The fact that you told me of how you helped someone does not mean I will follow suit. In fact, because you are telling me I will consider you an attention seeker. You are not really generous, you don't have the spirit of giving. You are just doing it for the publicity, the gains you look forward to.

Don't get me wrong though. I don't mean taking pictures and telling others of your deeds is always wrong. There are charity organizations that show the world what they do, and theirs is understandable. They are working towards a cause and might as well get more sponsors.

But them why would you film or take pictures of the middle-aged woman thanking you profusely for what you've done and then publicize it? For what purpose exactly? The oldest wisdom filled book ever written says regarding giving to others; "don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing." This simply means not bringing unnecessary attention to yourself.

Come to think of it; a man helped you and you started hearing of it everywhere you go, all the details. Nothing was left out, how would you feel? Now compare it to when you received help from someone whom you did not even know. It's just between you and the anonymous giver, when you eventually learned who he is how would you feel towards him? Surely the 2 scenarios will bring about different feelings of respect and appreciation.

To explain it better, let us use read.cash as an example. Someone tipped your article, you appreciate the person. Only for you to start seeing the screenshots everywhere you go; noise.cash, Facebook, Twitter etc posted by your tipper. He added the tag "feeling generous today! Congrats to the receiver." How would you feel? (This didn't happen, I just used it as an example).

Let us all curb the acts of giving and taking proofs. The world needs more givers obviously, but also less announcers. When you give with the aim of publicity or getting something back in return, then that will be your reward. Give without expecting, you will get a far greater reward, even a thousand fold. Don't lose that reward unnecessarily.

The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward." - Carol Ryrie Brink.

All images from unsplash.com