Good deeds

Many people express the sentiment that one should not expect returns for one's good deeds; the act of doing good should be ample reward in itself. Though I admire the nobility of this sentiment, I cannot agree with it in the larger picture.

Let me relate a story. A long time ago in China, when it was split into several countries, the master sage Confucius had a disciple who was traveling outside his own nation. This disciple came upon a fellow countryman who had been sold as a slave, so he took out his purse and paid the required amount of money necessary to free the man, who was naturally very thankful.

When the disciple returned to his own country, he told Confucius of this. Confucius commended his act and told him to claim the amount of money he had spent with the government. At that time, in their nation there was a law saying that if money was spent to save a fellow citizen from slavery in a foreign country, the government would reimburse the giver.

Confucius' disciple declined, saying that he was willing to perform this good deed using his own funds. Upon hearing this, Confucius insisted that he reclaim the money from the government. The disciple was puzzled: why would Confucius prevent him from doing a good deed?

The sage then explained: "If you spend your own money to save this man, all our country will admire you. However in the future, if other men see our fellows being enslaved overseas, how will they act? Will they save them then come and claim the expense? That would make them look petty next to your example. Yet if they do not claim the expense the cost to themselves would be significant."

"The logical outcome is that they pretend not to notice when they see our people being sold into slavery," Confucius concluded.

Therefore, is it wise for us to expect people to do good purely out of the nobility of their hearts? Such nobility does exist, but we should never count on it from day to day, as it could be worn out by constant use.

Much better to promote a culture where goodness is seen and recognized, and rewarded by praise and respect. The recipient of kindness should constantly think how to repay it. For we all act in our self-interest, and if such self-interest can be aligned with the interest of society, the motivation for helping others will be significantly stronger than solely altruism.