Helping and Getting Helped

_{Photo by Stormseeker}

When we talk about helping people, maybe by being a giver, we often tell people that when you give, you shouldn't expect something in return but is that really right? I know expectations creates disappointments when that expectation isn't met and it sometimes leaves us heart broken but as humans, I feel like that is how we're wired. It is only normal for me to expect you to help me with a favor whenever I need one, if I happen to always help you out when you need me. That to me, feels like common sense.

Please don't get me wrong. I've been in different situations where I've helped complete strangers without even thinking twice or wanting anything in return, that's not really the problem here. The problem is people making it look like a bad thing when someone asks you to help them because they've helped you in the past, that shouldn't be looked at in a bad way.

Actually, people over here say it almost all the time, even at my school. My lecturer always talks about how he tries not to be harsh on us because we all don't know where we'd meet in the future. What that means is that the only reason he's not being mean to us now, is so that if we happen to meet in the future, we'd be kind to him too. That is him showing us kindness so that we may be kind to him too when the time comes.

The same thing happens during birthdays too. How would you feel if you bought your friend a car for his birthday and then on your birthday, he sends you a happy birthday text message and that's it, of course you would feel bad and cheated. But should feeling that way make you a bad person? Absolutely not.

The reason why I brought up this conversation was because earlier today, I was chatting with someone in a group chat and some of them there had this theory why it's bad to give someone something and expect something in return. They made the whole thing feel bad and for some reason I just wasn't cool with it. Because I do believe in the spirit of fairness and when it comes to that, even if I helped you in the past without expecting anything from you in return, I do feel that if you happen to be in a situation to help me in the future, you should without hesitation.

It's called paying a good deed with a good deed because although I might not have had any expectations when I first helped you, if I find out that when I was in a tight spot, that you had what I needed to help me out of it but you ignored, it would hurt me and make me stop helping you, because you're obviously not a good person. Because even though I know that God rewards those who help other people, it still doesn't make it okay that you could have helped but chose not to and there's absolutely nothing wrong with me feeling that way.

But regardless of all of this, I still believe in helping people in whatever way we can, I do it all the time, so often that it's no longer a big deal for me because afterall, it doesn't cost anything to help someone (unless they're asking for money Lol).