The Power of an Altruistic Action
A selfless act with a hefty reward.
When the pandemic began, health services were stretched. Cries were coming from all over the world from doctors and nurses, warning us to stay home. The terrible things they were witnessing were taking its effects on them.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK was doing everything it could to save lives. It was down to the public to make changes to help the NHS.
I was extremely proud to have worked for the NHS during this challenging time. And, a simple trip to the petrol station couldn’t have made me happier.
A Small Action With An Instrumental Impact
I pulled into the petrol station and dragged myself out of the car. It was a hot, bright day, but there was an emptiness to the roads.
“On a normal day these roads would be filled with drivers getting ready to go to the parks, the beach or the zoo,” I murmured to myself. “But today, there was no one.”
I slowly walked around my car to the petrol tank. As I did, the guy in the next bay stared me up and down, looking at me as if I was wearing a clown costume.
“What’s he glaring at?” I thought. I was dressed in black jeans, smart black pointy shoes, a grey shirt and my NHS ID badge drooped down from my neck. I thought I looked pretty normal.
I carried on with my task, placing the petrol nozzle into the tank. I stared aimlessly at the roads waiting for the tank to fill, wondering if any cars would drive by.
I turned over my shoulder to see if the young gentlemen who was wearing these dark black sunglasses was still staring at me.
He had disappeared into the petrol shop.
After the tank filled to the top, I walked over to the shop to pay. As I slowly paced over, the young gentlemen came out of the shop and instantly said “Thank you, Sir!”
I curiously looked over at him, completely baffled by his remark but continued pacing over to the shop assistant.
“Pump number 3 please,” I said to the shop assistant.
“No need to pay,” he replied.
“What do you mean? I’ve filled up my tank with petrol. How much is it?” I inquired.
“No need, the gentlemen who just paid has kindly paid for your petrol too. He wanted to thank you for working for the NHS and supporting people through the pandemic,” the shop assistant enthusiastically responded.
I stopped for a moment to process what had just been said to me.
The shopkeeper grinned at me, showing me his pearly white teeth.
It was as if the day had got even brighter. This small gesture from a stranger lifted my mood, putting a skip in my step.
As I got back in my car, not able to remove the smile from my face I looked back over my shoulder. I made eye contact with the gentlemen who just paid for my petrol. I smiled at him, raised my hand to say thank you and we both drove off.
Why Do We Display Altruistic Actions?
When I was in my teens and my teacher told us about altruism, I questioned her and asked “why would anyone be selfless and willingly do something for someone else without expecting anything in return?”
The irony of this comment was a few days later I was faced with an opportunity to display an altruistic act.
I slowly walked up a steep ramp, heading straight for the supermarket. The sun was setting, I had been up since 5am and my stomach was growling like a lion. As I came up to the store, a homeless man was lying around the corner to the entrance. He tilted his head, smiled at me with his missing front teeth and grey hair and asked “do you have any food? I haven’t eaten for days.”
I only had £3 on me — I could have easily said no so I can satisfy my hunger. But I pondered for a moment and thought “who needs this meal more. Me or this smiley gentleman that laid in front of me.” There was only one answer.
I popped into the supermarket, bought a sandwich, snack and drink for £3 and gave it to him.
“You’re a kind gentleman, thank you and God bless,” the man enthusiastically said.
That’s when I noticed the true effects of altruism.
We carry out altruistic acts because it’s rewarding to us. We may not be getting anything tangible but it has this ability for us to be filled with a basket full of positive emotions. It activates reward centres in our brain which makes us feel great.
A study in 2015 found even in young children aged between 2–5 years old, those who gave treats away experienced significantly more happiness than children who received treats.
Reflecting on these moments, both receiving and carrying out an altruistic action taught me the power it has towards ourselves and others.
The Power of an Altruistic Action
Sometimes the smallest actions can have the biggest impact.
After this altruistic action, I went back to tell my teacher. She began with “Saarim, how did you feel about buying food for the gentleman you saw?”
“Miss, I felt great. I was still hungry but to see the joy it put on his face made me feel like I had done something right,” I responded.
“Saarim, do you remember the question you asked me the other day?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“So why did you selflessly do something for him?” she questioned.
“Miss, I weighed it up very quickly in my head. At that moment I saw greater benefits of buying him food than saying no and satisfying my own needs. It would’ve made him happy, given him energy, optimism, hope and perhaps stopped him from feeling upset or unhappy too. And, for me, I knew that if I gave him the food it would make me extremely happy.”
My teacher smiled at me and said:
“Well that’s the true power of an altruistic action.”