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Comment by Mordisquitos | Hacker News Reader

> Random acts of kindness DO happen, but are usually not captured on video.

Indeed. In fact, when the act is intentionally captured on video by its performer, not only is it already very debatable that it is an act of "kindness"... but it is also obviously NOT "random"!

(For the colloquial meaning of "random" of course)

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> when the act is intentionally captured on video by its performer, not only is it already very debatable that it is an act of "kindness"... but it is also obviously NOT "random"!

I was about to propose to my girlfriend and was setting up my DSLR on a tripod to take photos via IR remote (she thought we were just going to take photos of us at sunset).

Then a guy came walking by and offered to take the photos for us. I demurred, but he said he had the exact same camera and knew how to use it. So I quietly told him what was about to go down, and he took a bunch of great photos of our engagement.

For at least a year after, my wife didn't believe that he wasn't a plant!

Usually you can tell a plant by their lack of opposable thumbs and green pallor.

That's only the obvious ones.

This is one of those rare replies where I wish I could just dance away at the upvote. But I can't, so I'll leave this note instead. Thank you.

You can make the case that it's not an "act of kindness" when your motive is self promotion and gratification.

Also giving someone flowers is quite a cheap kindness. Help somebody in need out. Or just go clean the streets. No good content clickbait video to be made of you picking up the trash ?

If cynical enough, no act is selfless.

That phrase, to 'remove yourself from the equation' applies here too. That leads to a better 'test' and metric.

'remove yourself from the equation'

The real definition of compassion.

I recall a few years back, I was going to visit someone, and bought flowers.

Before I left, plans changed, so now I was in the mall parking lot, and had (to me) useless flowers. In the parking lot, I saw an older woman sitting in her car.

I walked up to her, proclaimed "surprise, flowers!", which she took, and I walked away.

It is sad to think that these days, it almost makes more sense to just throw them away, instead of giving a bit of unexpected joy to someone.

(the woman seemed surprised, and happy)

The difference is that you didn't use the opportunity to promote your brand on social media, nor did you trick her into holding the flowers for you just to disappear. I think the reaction would have been completely different if he did actually present those as a gift.

Sure, but my point was, as a reply to the thread above, now people my be hesitant to receive such a gift as genuine.

Or give it, for fear of a negative response... the well is being poisoned.

> Indeed. In fact, when the act is intentionally captured on video by its performer, not only is it already very debatable that it is an act of "kindness"

Only if you're going into the whole "every act is selfish" kind of thing.

> but it is also obviously NOT "random"! (For the colloquial meaning of "random" of course)

Why not? It only takes a few seconds to start filming.

If you mean having a camera person, that starts to get into the weeds, but it depends on how much planning there was and how it was done.

> Only if you're going into the whole "every act is selfish" kind of thing.

There are selfless acts of kindness, but this isn't one of them. There's no conflict there. He did it to make a video he could monetize on TikTok. It's his job. It's a really simple distinction.

> If you mean having a camera person, that starts to get into the weeds, but it depends on how much planning there was and how it was done.

If he went to that mall and bought flowers and picked a sympathetic-looking subject, with the intention of filming a video of himself doing it to upload to TikTok, it's not random. It's premeditated. I don't mean that in the legal sense, though it probably applies. I mean he thought about it in advance, so it's not "random".

> If he went to that mall and bought flowers and picked a sympathetic-looking subject, with the intention of filming a video of himself doing it to upload to TikTok, it's not random.

Okay but that goes way beyond the general-case statement I was responding to.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

--Jesus

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