Do we need a reason to help people?

I have been pondering this for sometime, do we need reasons to help people and if so what reasons would they be.

Discuss at will.

 

I think you help someone either because you love them (in whatever form) and care about them, or you want people to think you are compassionate and don't want a reputation as an unfriendly spaz.

 

The only ones who I help is people who I believe DESERVE the help. This all goes in my oppinion, and this only applies to me, since others may think differently. I personally though would only help someone if I think that they deserve the help.

In other words, I would help the nice kid in school, but the one kid who is always looking to really hurt that nice kids feelings, I honostly would be able to simply watch and drown if their intentions truelly were to hurt the nice kids feelings for no reason at al.........or so to speak. Not the best example, but none the less, AN example

 

I actually help a lot of people.If its that they need advice with something or just something they need help on.I don't help people I don't know but if its in public and someone does need help,like really badly, then I'll help them.I agree with Starkiller.Even if someone does say "I just felt like helping them." There's always a simple reason to helping a person.​

 

All helping behaviour is arguably motivated by personal gain.

In other words, we help to help ourselves. That sums it up pretty well for me.

And I'm totally prepared to counter the first person to bring up altruism.

 

I wouldn't use the term losely.
-At that, I think everyone has a reason to help
someone. Thus some ppl might regret it later in
life and feel depressed. The fact of the matter is,
that we have reasons to & not to help them.

 

Not necessarily. We do not need a reason but most people help out other people for a certain reason.

Sort of a pessimistic statement here. I highly doubt that ALL help is motivated by personal gain. Most of it, maybe, but some people help other people with no reason and/or little to no gain.

 

It's common courtesy :\ I help people out all the time, except for my family members, which is who I am supposed to help out the most. I help people out in two ways: helping them emotionally by talking to them, and physical help by opening doors for people, picking up things they dropped, and so on.

Usually we help people out because we hope for a reward, and can anyone say that that's not true?

 

I do. If it doesn't help in my favor, I could care less. I know, I'm a jerk and I stand by that, but I think that WE should help people that help themselves. Not me. You guys!

 

It's not pessimism. It's human nature. In fact, you're the one inciting personal gain as pessimistic, not me. There's nothing wrong with helping others if it means to help yourself as well. It just so happens that there is no example of helping behaviour that can definitively exclude any possibility of personal gain--of any magnitude.

Feel free to give an example of a situation that says otherwise.

 

Well to answer your question about needing a reason to help people I would have to agree that you do need a reason depending on the situtation. Helping someone in dire need is something that anyone with a heart would come natural to, but then there are it all depends if you can help yourself. Then there is that choice of doing so and what could the possible outcome be from it? Most people help other people if they were raised to by their parents, or were brrought up like that, but then there are those who have had negative influences and they don't choose to. What is all comes down to is what kind of person that individual is and how they perceive the situation.

 

People either help to gain something, or from pity, or guilt. Those are the reasons in a nutshell.

 

There's a lot of reasons to help people..
?

 

I help people that need it.

 

But why? That's the whole point of the thread.

 

I just kind of roll with life. I help some people here and there because I have the time to do so and I figure it makes a difference so that since I am doing alright, someone else could, etc. It's like spreading positive energy in a world that too often people seem willing to spread negative energy in. I don't really have other reasons to help people other than that really. I don't expect things in return. It's nice to get them but not at all necessary. I don't do it out of pity because we all have our bad days and I just feel that if I'm doing okay, I would want others to feel good too if they can, rather than being miserable. I also can't say I feel any guilt over helping others. I've always tended to be someone who tried to get out of messes myself and there were a couple people that did assist me and I figure it's just the more positive thing to do in life is move with it and if I can take the time to help someone else up to go along with it instead of freezing to a spot and being down, it's a good thing to do.

I suppose we all have our reasons in the end, but mine is pretty basic.

 

huh..
Helping others huh..?
well..
i don't want to help ppl..
Note:
there's a reason i don't want to..

 

I would like to think that I help people just because I want to do something kind or because it's the right thing to do. Of course, that's easier said than done.

 

did you get this from ff IX sir?

anyways...

in a natural way...we would only help each-other in order to save ourselves...
it's our more animalistic behaviour in order to maintain out surviverbilety...
but if you mean in a humane way... well...i guess... the reason only depends on how the person is in personality...
think of it as this... anyone could say...i help everyone when they need it and will not back away.......but do they really? no... an example is bulliyng... normally... no one would dare to put a stop in an attack just in order to save himself...
so the reason...is normally for a human when he's not in danger...
i'm sorry for the long message...