Howard’s Inner Circle. No. 27: A Variation of Pass It On /Pay It Forward

To many “pass it on” and “pay it forward” means when someone does something nice for you; you should in turn do something at least as nice for someone else.

A good samaritan might pay the subway fare for someone who doesn’t have it. Rather than paying it back the traveler agrees if he or she comes in contact in the future with someone similarly situated to pay their fare.

What’s great is the giver and the receiver of the generosity are both at ease, and someone else will probably benefit in the future. Otherwise, one of the parties feels uncomfortable as the giver usually doesn’t want to be paid back, and the receiver feels obligated to do so.

There are many other instances when a kindness makes the recipient feel like they have an obligation. Perhaps a solution might be if the recipient of a kindness would make a donation to a charity in honor of the giver and in appreciation of the good deed. It could be one favored by the good samaritan. If desired, he or she could be informed that a donation has been made and the reason for it without revealing who made it.

© 2011
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