I Wasn’t Acknowledged and Applauded
Do you tend to do good things for others even when nobody shows appreciation?
On Sunday three weeks ago, my wife and I were walking downtown in our town when, out of a sudden, we heard a loud ‘crash’ sound. At 20 meters away from us, a middle-aged man on a motorcycle crashed into a big 4x4 pickup truck.
The motorcyclist flew over the pickup hood and fell 10 meters farther. The ‘splat’ sound of his body hitting the pavement it’s hard to forget.
That reminded me of when I suffered a motorcycle accident a few years ago. I knew what it feels like to be lying in the street. People around were looking but not helping. So I went to give that man some aid.
I knelt beside him and tried to keep him conscious and still, to avoid worsening his injuries. “Call 911”, I said to one man near us. A few minutes later the police and an ambulance got to the scene. They pushed me away and got control of the situation.
Our Self-Esteem Is at Stake
My wife and I sat down in the square a few meters from the accident scene. We could watch all the paramedic procedures for helping the injured man.
People passed in front of us, and it seemed like we were invisible. They were talking about the accident and giving their opinions about who was at fault. But no one mentioned my Samaritan action.
The day after, the local news talked about the accident, but there was no mention of ‘the good Samaritan’ who gave some help. For a moment, I felt like I wasn’t acknowledged for my action toward that poor man.
But…
Why Do We Do Good Things for Others?
The issue isn't about wounded pride. It is undeniable that humans tend to feel good when others show appreciation for their actions, and you and I aren’t an exception.
Think about yourself. How did you feel when received a “Thank You” for a good action you did? And how did you feel when didn’t receive it?
Everyone is aware of the importance of being grateful, despite this, we can see it’s more and more common to forget to say “Thank You”.
Usually, we don’t do good actions to receive praise from others. The simple action itself gives us a profound feeling of satisfaction. But when people seem not to notice us, feeling unappreciated can produce resentment if we’re not careful.
That’s why we need to have a clear perspective on why we do what we do: What’s the real reason for doing good things for others.
What I Learned From This
Firstly, I learned it’s important to be aware of helping when needed. When the time to act I cannot wait until others want to help. The most important thing is to do what must be done, forget about myself, and put others’ needs first.
Secondly, I realized good actions should never be conditioned to recognition from others. If nobody shows appreciation for our deeds we have the deep feeling of doing what was necessary to help and be useful.
At last but not least, this situation has helped me to be on the lookout for new opportunities to give my help.
And, you know what? Now I always express a sincere Thank You when someone else does something for me.
By the way — Thank You for reading me.
