The Irrelevancy of Motivation

Why do people do good deeds?

I once had a philosophy class that focused on this very fundamental question regarding human nature. The intention of the course was not to reach an ultimate conclusion; instead, it made us examine what we thought about the matter. There were two basic opinions we wrestled with and fought over. It was a polarizing question and prompted some decent discussion so I thought I might revisit the topic just for fun. I suppose this relays my nerdy idea of what constitutes 'fun'.

The crux of the argument rested on the idea revolving around our motivation for helping others. Do we help people for the sake of helping or do we assist those in need because it makes us feel better about ourselves? In essence, is there any such thing as a a selfless act if we derive (any amount of) pleasure from what we've done? There were sound points supporting and critiquing each position and we spent a lot of time thinking about this idea.

The interesting thing about philosophy is it's ability to be either useful or inane. If we apply our energy to seek out problems and then address those issues then we are contributing positively to society. However, if we do nothing more than quibble about abstract ideas and theories without finding solutions, then we do little more than take up valuable space and oxygen. I won't tell you which side of the coin I landed on (because it changes all the time), but what was often left out of the discussion was the actual good deed. Fair enough, it was a class.

But since I work in the sphere of social services, I want to focus on the actuality of how many people are out there, in the Valley, doing good deeds. There are thousands of people in need in Flathead County who are either homeless, living below the poverty level, or just a step or two removed from becoming homeless. A few years ago I would have spent more time dissecting a person's motivation for helping than being appreciative of the help provided by that person.

Ultimately, to those in need, it matters little about why someone helps. If a person donates to a worthy cause because they feel homelessness is a communal issue that affects the while of society... Great! If another person brings a bag of groceries to the shelter or a trunk of clothes because it makes them happy... Awesome! It matters not why people help, only that people DO help. Whether it's obligation, guilt, responsibility, joy, benevolence, or empathy... People help for all manner of reasons. Our job is not to judge the motivation, but to be thankful for the act.

This is totally backwards in context to what we discussed in my class and I would have received a failing grade for what I just typed. Fortunately, we can adapt these ideas and postulations to life outside the halls of higher education. Every day we rely on donations and contributions from people just like you. We are thankful and appreciative and will never question why you help us.

We just humbly ask that you keep doing it!