271–280 of 285 posts
Sounds like someone who takes and does not give
Exactly. People taking advantage of other peoples' kindness systematically and at scale is the reason why people are less kind today.
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I mean, it depends of course. Especially now that I have children, who depend on me. I do know, even with kids you can hitchhike, do work exchange, etc. but it is a whole different story than doing it on my own, so I would never claim I transcended above existential fears regarding money. But I do believe my base attitude is way more relaxed to always find a way somehow and that helps me a lot to not get a heart atta…
How do you "work exchange" doctor and medicine instantly if ur child gets really sick, and have 0$ and no insurance or free healthcare? having money, gives you more choises with each amount, the liberty.
I see others expressing this point, but I'll add my two cents: this essay really bothered me. 1. The writer describes hitchhiking to work every day, presumably for months or years. He doesn't describe in any way how he paid back that kindness, either to the people he rode with directly, or just by paying it forward. 2. The writer describes traveling in Asia for 8 years, and many of the instances of kindness he descri…
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He sounds like a “begpacker.” Reading this makes me think badly about the author. Taking from those less fortunate is horrible. If you are rich enough to travel to a poor country, please don’t exploit the people by taking more from them.
Imagine the good he could have done if he actually paid people back! He could've bought a cart of food for the family generous enough to share their last can of meat. He could have spotted a generous driver with a full tank of gas right at the end of the trip.
Really nice article, but it sort of flies in the face of all our biological imperatives. Being a good "kindee" means forgoing security, control and some safety. Constant Gratitude for just the miracle of life means forgoing the driving dissatisfaction that will push you ahead. This is the classic battle between our ancient biological impulses and the reality of modern society. Many religions try to square these: Budd…
It is survival of the fittest gene A cooperating human race has been excellent for our survival.
Viewed under that lens, the author and other travelers who live off the kindness of strangers are a kind of parasite, who exploit that reward system. They have no designs to contribute to the group once they are back on their feet, in fact they have made themselves intentionally helpless as a lifestyle.
What's interesting about this post is that it would be completely unsurprising to most people in most parts of the world, as well as most people here 100 years ago. The discomfort so many people in this thread feel with receiving kindness and the devaluing of the gift of companionship, gratitude, and a good story is a testament to how far off human norms our society is these days. I struggle with this a lot myself -…
Is that really true? Would a black man be able to receive this type of kindness 100 years ago?
Stories like this always feel a little bittersweet. It’s beautiful, but women would be in potential danger in situations like these. And I say that as someone who has spent years the world traveling alone and isn’t afraid of humanity and agrees that the kindness of people is one of the most precious and Hope-building things in the world.
I met a woman once, who was working as a waitress. She said she was a hobo before this job, but she had a daughter, and while she longs for the hobo life, she knows it's not right for a young kid.
Again, bad things happen, I am sure there are stories. If you expect to find a situation for women where there is no risk, best of luck to you.
Just want to say I love this vintage internet blog style.
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It is survival of the fittest gene A cooperating human race has been excellent for our survival.
If cooperation is a beneficial survival trait, it would have to be because helping others so they can continue creating value for the group is better for everyone than letting them die. At some point a reward system around helping weak members of the group was conditioned into us. Viewed under that lens, the author and other travelers who live off the kindness of strangers are a kind of parasite, who exploit that rew…
The emergent behaviour of humans given "stay alive and copy or die before you can copy" is mindboggling.
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I think if he is willing to be generous in other times and places as well, it can be a good learning experience. I know this is also how Jesus lives in the Gospels, and has his disciples do so at times as well. Of course he paid his way by healing the sick and raising the dead! And telling really good stories.
in contrast, Jesus also could turn water into wine and he has the most rich parents in a human history (can manifest anhthing) so was he taking advance of people like the writer?