We humans are just plain weird. If we are really made in God’s own image then I think we might be experiencing the equivalent of an analog signal’s generation loss (loss of fidelity with each generation of copy). I don’t understand even myself and cannot profess to even begin to comprehend the world.
One of the thing I find most baffling (not one of the negative ones) of all is; why we feel happier by doing things for others.
It can’t be simply that the thought of reciprocation acts as a motivation as I’ve often tried to do something for strangers (as an experiment) and move on, without waiting for gratitude, and still felt nice about it.
Small or big doesn’t seem to make much difference either; ever try something simple such as smiling and greeting a person you know may be isolated? (case to point the old helper around my apartment who quietly keeps maintaining the compound without ever talking to anyone).
Is there some weird Freudian explanation about the need to please ourselves by doing for others? (in which case it seems even more delusional as why would it not be simpler to please oneself by doing things selfishly?)
It kind of makes it hard for me to be an atheist as ‘the soul’ that ‘small drop of God in us ‘seems like one plausible explanation.
When we give and do for people we know and like the positive sensation seems even stronger. I've often noted that there is quite contentment in the knowledge that I did something for someone close and have never felt the need for acknowledgment from the recipient.
Furthermore, I don't feel disappointment if such people do go on to let me down. (This may be partially due to the fact that I deliberately have really low expectations* from everyone else and therefore no one can disappoint me. *which may also be a personality flaw in its own right)
Have been researching the 'psychology of giving' to satisfy this curiosity and have come across several interesting articles. Look forward to some links on this...
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