Random Acts of Kindness - Acknowledgement - Praise
Why do people do acts of goodness or good things?
The following passage from the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (2000. Scholastic: New York. pages 110-111) can be used to initiate thoughts, questions, and discussion. Some possible questions follow:
One day she bought a small plant, an African violet in a plastic pot on sale for ninety-nine cents at a drugstore.
“Who’s it for?” I asked her.
“I’m not exactly sure,” she said. “I just know that someone at an address on Marion Drive is in the hospital for surgery, so I though whoever’s back home could use a little cheering up.”
… We went to the house on Marion Drive… She tied the violet ribbon around the pot. I held her bike while she set the plant by the front door.
Riding away, I said, “Why don’t you leave a card or something with your name on it?”
The question surprised her. “Why should I?”
Her question surprised my. “Well, I don’t know, it’s just the way people do things. They expect it. They get a gift, they expect to know where it came from.”
“Is that important?”
“Yeah, I guess-“
… Getting credit…
“What about it?”
Well, it’s nice to get credit.”The spokes of her rear wheel spun behind the curtain of her long skirt. She looked like a photograph from a hundred years ago. She turned her wide eyes on me. “Is it?” she said.Jerry Spinelli (2000). Stargirl Scholastic: New York. pages 110-111.
Leo's arguement goes from people expect to know, to it's the way things are, to getting credit. In your mind why would or wouldn't any of these valid reasons?
Why are gifts given?
Why are they given with people's names attached?
How is giving a gift extrinsically or intrinsically motivating?
How might it be related to praise?