Random Act of Kindness

by Christian Gallardo

Although helping others might seem to be such a good deed, there are times wherein it does not feel right to do it not because it is not what conscience dictates but because the society perceives it in a wrong way. No matter how many books are published praising people who do kind acts to another, in reality, it is still socially awkward. Just imagine seeing a politician in a public television distributing relief goods to those people affected by the typhoon. The act itself is right, but the real intent is being judged by others. While others might see it as a way to also encourage others to donate, the same act might be judged as a way for the politician to gain votes for the upcoming elections.

Personally though, I experienced the same situation- of being stuck between doing good while risking my dignity in the process and doing nothing just to be safe. Back when I was in high school, I used to ignore my teachers who carry their heavy bags with laptops and test papers not because I do not want to waste my energy and time in helping them, but I worry that my batch mates would judge me as a “teacher’s pet” who helps my professor, hoping that, in return, they would favour me in grades giving. Recently as well, like 2 to 3 weeks ago, my friends and I ate at KFC in Katipunan. Before we got there to have lunch, it was actually sunny. Unfortunately though, before we left, it rained so hard. Good thing that we did not forget our umbrellas. Though there are 2 pretty girls from Miriam College (I assume because of the uniforms they were wearing) that forgot to have their umbrellas with them. My friends and I overheard that they just wanted to go to Fully Booked (which is just on the other side of the street) to wait for the rain to stop but they do not have something to protect themselves from the heavy rain. My friends and I pushed each other to approach the ladies and offer them an umbrella to the other side of the street, which is on our way back to school anyway. Though none of us had the courage to, not because we were insensitive, but because we worry that the people around us, including those 2 girls, might think that we are flirting, since they are indeed pretty. Hence, we just rushed back to school, pretending that we did not hear a thing on their conversation.

Thinking back on the situation, and relating it to the philosophical discussion that we had on school, I guess helping them would be fall into the type of a “random act of kindness”. And from the situation I can imply that what makes them special is that you are willing to risk your dignity- of being judged by others, just to do something that what you feel is right. Furthermore, the difference of which from the other acts of goodness is that it is not obliged or enforced by law, rather you do it really because you feel personally that it is right. Take, as comparison, the situation of buying something from a store. The moment that the good you bought is handed over to you, you have a legal obligation to give the payment. Breaking this obligation would result into a legal violation which would result, in turn, into punishment of some sorts. On the other hand, not doing a “random act of kindness” (which we unfortunately did) would not result into punishments. Because of this we can imply that “random acts of kindness” involve some kind of conscience and knowledge. Legal obligations, since they are forced, are automatically exercised most of the times. Contrary to these, “random acts of kindness” makes one reflect first: “Should I do this? Should I do that?” And that reflection makes the act of goodness more human.


Thinking back on what happened that day, I think that we should have helped. After all, none can ascertain our intentions but ourselves anyway.