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Pages:
2 pages/≈550 words
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Style:
APA
Subject:
Psychology
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
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Total cost:
$ 8.64
Topic:

Random Acts of Kindness

Essay Instructions:

An article in Psychology Today (2006; see link here) touts the benefits of altruism in terms of long-term psychological fulfillment. It cites the work of Sonja Lyubomirsky of Stanford University whose students reported higher levels of happiness than a control group after carrying out good deeds for a week. Alternatively, the same article also cites the work of Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia, who contends that doing acts of kindness for strangers is not likely to benefit the doer, whereas helping family members or friends will because it will result in a strengthening of a social relationship. Commit random acts of kindness, daily, for a period of one week and to keep a journal of your actions, the response you received from those who were helped, and your own subsequent reactions. You should commit 8-9 random acts of kindness, and at least 3 of these activities should be done to benefit strangers (rather than friends or family). Please make sure to maintain quarantine or social distancing while completing this assignment. Create a table to keep track of your experiences, noting who the target was (friend, or family), the target's reaction, and how you felt. You could also keep track of the rewards or costs of helping in these situations. Include your table with your 750-word report of your experiences. Did you find yourself feeling fulfilled as a result of helping others? Did you experience any change of attitude (toward them or about yourself)? Do you feel happier now than you did at the start of the activity? Relate your responses to self-justification or cognitive dissonance. Describe whether you think the experiences change if you are helping strangers as opposed to people you know well.
Here are some suggestions from former students for acts of kindness: donating belongings; cooking or sharing a meal; making cards or gifts using materials you had at home (physical or virtual objects); helping someone carry/load their groceries or mow their lawn or shovel their driveway or clear snow off their car; offering helpful advice or encouragement; giving a friend or family member a ride (e.g., to the grocery store); teaching someone a new skill; completing a task for a co-worker; checked in with a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a while; babysitting a friend/family member's child; helping someone study; offer to participate in a family member or friend's activity of choice; complete a household chore (i.e., for someone you don't live with); volunteering for a community organization.
Also, need to make up the 8-9 random acts of kindness and include the table asked for above.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Random Acts of Kindness
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Due Date Random Acts of Kindness             Acts of kindness have been recognized as fundamental ways of assisting others in the community. One’s capacity to sacrifice their time and resources for the benefit of other individuals arises as an unmatched form of altruism. It has also been recognized as the mechanism through which individuals can trigger ripple effects that translates into similar deeds, promoting the overall wellness of a society. Different people value these actions based on the targeted audience. In this context, some argue that assisting strangers induces no gain to the doer, unlike extending similar acts to family members and friends. However, other people claim that the benefits of advancing these practices supersede physical rewards and recognition. They state that they stimulate an internal form of satisfaction with long term fulfillment that transforms one into a better being. After completing a week performing random acts of kindness to various people in my neighborhood, the induced psychological gain demonstrates that the practice is significantly beneficial for the doer, irrespective of the recipient of the actions.               Even in the most simplistic ways, helping people induced an intuitive feeling of fulfillment. From the first act, while allowing an older man to go ahead and finish his transaction in an ATM center, to the last one while mowing for my neighbor, the same feeling kept growing stronger. Before this exercise, I never took time to introspect and understand the effects of assisting others. I was used to extending meagre favors and helping people where necessary throughout the day, at school, streets, and in my neighborhood. This project allowed me to think critically about the impact of these actions on my personality and feelings from a psychological perspective. As a result, I have learned that these practices are directly correlated with my ever-cheerful mood irrespective of whether I am experiencing other personal challenges or not. Thus, sacrificing resources and time to enable people to achieve a goal or meet their needs induces a form of concealed fulfillment.             Conducting these acts is an attitude-changing practice for the doer towards themselves and the recipients. Throughout this exercise, I have discovered that people cannot live in isolation and that everyone needs other individuals for a quality life. For instance, the homeless stranger was thankful for receiving shoes that would enable him to feel comfortable while walking. His appreciation of the assistance revealed that this person would desire to gain the capability of meeting such a need without requiring assistance. However, not everyone is lucky enough to thrive economically. The joy emerging from individuals in the homeless center shed further insights into how I can change people’s lives, even in small ways. I am now convinced that I have a duty towards others without necessarily incurring costs to achieve ...
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