Good Deeds, Bad Intentions

Helping the needy, giving, and doing good things is a very kind and noble thing to do, and it is appreciated and valued in many countries and cultures. We are divided by language and distance, but United by certain virtues. Just like in every other country, the act of giving and doing good things is valued and appreciated in my country too. Nowadays, it seems like the act of engaging in good deeds is a coin (two sides). There are those who do these things with pure intentions. They do not care about what is in for them nor do they care about what people would think of them. They follow their hearts because that is the right thing to do. On the other hand, there are those who do good deeds to gain fame/recognition or followers on social media platforms.

Today’s world is filled with attention seekers who are willing to go extra lengths to let people know about their existence. Social media platforms are filled with people engaging in charitable acts, volunteering, and helping others. But the big questions are; what exactly are their intentions? What drives their actions? What do they get in return for engaging in charitable acts? Are their actions sincere, or are they just trying to gain recognition or followers?

Have you ever imagined a world where good deeds are not faked? Imagine a world where kindness and compassion fill every corner. Maybe, just maybe, if the world was filled with people who do good things like feeding the poor, sheltering the homeless, and caring for those in need, we would be in a better place. A place where everyone feels loved and cared for. Wild dreams, right?

Nowadays, it is rare to see people who do good deeds with good intentions. I understand that we all have different ways of doing things, but doing good deeds just to gain followers is totally absurd. Nowadays, we see people giving alms to the poor, and the next thing they do is post it online so they can gain recognition. There are people who engage in good acts and post them online with good intentions. That’s totally fine with me. A very good example of someone who fits into this category is the well known Mr Beast.

MrBeast is the most famous YouTuber whom I got to know a few years ago. What MrBeast does is change lives by helping people, buying them houses and computers, paying their rent, and doing all sorts of good deeds for them. He posts these videos on YouTube, generating money from them. However, a high percentage of what he generates goes back into charity. In my opinion, this is not bad. In my opinion, MrBeast's intentions are pure; he's a good person changing the world one step at a time.

Unlike Mr Beast, some do good deeds for their selfish interests. These people can go as far as faking the videos. I have seen so many stories of attention seekers who got caught for faking their good deeds. If your intentions are pure, you won’t go around making videos and posting them online.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you did a good deed, not solely out of kindness, but with the hope of gaining favor or approval from others? Maybe you volunteered your time or donated your resources. But deep down, you were motivated by the desire to gain something in return. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we buy our way in with good deeds.

I remember the time my friends and I bought food and drinks for our exam officer just because we wanted her to not rearrange our seats in the exam hall. You should note that this is totally different from helping people and posting it online to gain recognition.

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have to buy our way in with good deeds. If I found out someone was helping because of what they'll most likely get in return, I'd feel disappointed and hurt at first, especially if that person is close to me. It's natural to feel that way when we realize that someone's kindness isn't pure. However, after reflecting on it, I would try to their perspective. Maybe they're coming from a very tight spot.

Thanks for reading.

Note: All images in this post are mine.