In your experience, does it seem like the people with the least are the quickest to give and help others?

Most people in the world are indeed awesome. And eager to help, particularly if they can help directly/face to face.

It’s too bad that the occasional exception to this rule winds up being regarded as typical when it is in truth the other way around.

What do you mean by the last sentence?

Early in our relationship Rick got thrown in the clinker late on Saturday night on an outstanding bench warrant. He got caught because he was speeding a little on our way home from Wichita. I didn’t know WHAT the hell to do. It was the middle of the night. I started to go home, then turned around and somehow made my way to the jail with the bail money. In the waiting room I was surrounded by pimps and prostitutes and the really down an outters. This really flaming black guy, in full make up and knee high stiletto boots and a leopord spotted short jacket sat down next to me. I guess he was a pimp. I looked at him. I was so lost, so out of my element.
He looked at me, then he laughed and his face just lit up! “This ain’t never happened to you before, has it!”
I shook my head mutely. He gave me a mental hug, then he proceeded to metaphorically take me by the hand for the whole experience. Maybe he was hoping to get another girl for his stable, but I didn’t feel anything like that from him.
And he wasn’t the only one. These people, the ones society spit on and looked down on, had every reason to be hateful to this spoiled white girl, but they were the nicest, kindest people I ever met.

I agree with @josie here. (OMG, sound the alarm!) Most people are awesome and will go out of their way to help, one way or another.

No. About the same either way.

BTW, the nebulizer is working. She’s resting much easier. We’re going to be taking her in this week. Maybe tomorrow. ;(

My experience with people is yes.

When I delivered pizza, the bigger/nicer the house, the lower the tip. People living in hotels would give me $5–10. People in mansions/expensive apartments, sometimes didn’t tip at all.

Those who have been through adversity, are more empathetic.

I think some people are natural helpers. I think some people wouldn’t know how to help, unless ot was spelled out very specifically to them, or made extremely convenient for them to help. Other people are extremley private and don’t want to get “involved” and still other people feel completely put upon when asked if they can help, and other people automatically assume that someone else will be doing the helping, so they don’t.

I don’t think it’s the money, or the lack of money, that makes people help or not help. It’s their individual personalities, and levels of feeling able enough, or interested enough, to help.

I think @MrGrimm888 got it. I don’t think I was ever a jerk, but spending those years in poverty sure made me see things from a different perspective. I believe it made me more generous.

@Dutchess_III
Meaning too often people seem to use outliers like Hitler, Charles Manson, and similar degenerates as evidence that humanity sucks when there is a preponderance of evidence that it is not true

What did I say to prompt that @josie? Oh oh. Nevermind. I see. Yes, I agree with you. But there have been actually social studies done that show that many wealthier people are far less considerate than average. I have a sister who is like that solely because of the money she’s made for herself.

Many people would help a stranger drowning. But that’s an anomalous situation. People’s far more typical behavior is to ignore people who need other, easier help. A homeless person may be in as much danger as someone actively drowning. But they aren’t perceived as needing that same sense of urgency.

I don’t see knee jerk responses to help as a sign that humanity isn’t mostly crap. Millions of people are starving, sick, or dying miserable and alone in just America. In the richest country, that is a democracy, the will of the majority is they’d rather pay less taxes or spend more on defense and war, than give help to those in need. THAT is what I will judge humanity by.

There are billions of people suffering world wide. The vast majority of the suffering could be nullified if most of humanity were actually good. Wars, famine, genocide, and disease are largely preventable issues…

@MrGrimm888 I think those who go through adversity can lean on two extremes: they are either the best caregivers in the world or the stinkiest pieces of crap ever. The latter ones think the world is against them and the only way to survive is to put themselves first and ignore the rest of the world.

Ultimately it all depends on the individual.

I think those who have received kindness from others are the most likely to give. The pay it forward thing.

Some communities of people give more, I think it’s partly altruism and tradition, and sometimes partly peer pressure.

Where I live most people have time and money and they give both. They give to each other and to those less fortunate.

Not at all. In fact such tendencies may well be responsible for them having “the least”.

GA Mimi. I agree.