A Good Deed? Why not?

If you have a choice, what kind of deed would you do? It could be holding the door for someone, or perhaps buying someone a coffee if they happen to be short of change. Those are good deeds indeed.

Alternatively, you could do the polar opposite of a good deed...a bad deed. Since when did bad deeds do anyone any good? Never. But this piece is about 'good deeds' after all so, let's talk about the good stuff!

A few months ago, or should i say last year, i went for my usual morning coffee. The aroma of freshly grounded coffee beans caramelised the air, a heavenly delight for any coffee lover.

As i waited patiently to be served, a lady pushed her pram towards the door to leave the shop. She had to open the door and try to push her pram through it. I observed to see whether she could manage or not. However, in a matter of seconds, i decided to hold the door open for her.

She smiled at me.

"Thank you", she said in relief.

Afterward, i felt a warm glow in my heart. It is that feeling you get when you have helped someone in some way. This is the sensation felt in our bodies after achieving an intrinsic reward. These are the kinds of rewards from accomplishing something meaningful in our lives; they are truly nourishing for the soul.

Another instance of a good deed, was when i walking to the supermarket with my mum and saw a homeless person who sat on the stone-cold concrete floor. He was wearing a wooly hat and a relatively thin jacket. His face was sunken.

After we left the store, my mum gave the man the change leftover from the shopping. The man's face softened. You could see the gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you very much", the man said.

"You're very welcome", said my mum.

Good deeds are not just good, they're great! It is such gestures that bring people together.

However, i rarely see such gestures on my daily whereabouts. Whenever i scroll through my news feed, more often than not the bad news makes the headlines. The lowlights are the highlights. There is a famous proverb, 'bad news travels fast', derived from Charles Dickens' novel "Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit".

I am pretty sure that they are millions of good deeds that are happening everywhere in the world at this very moment. There are lots of people out there who want to do good in the world.

Behind every deed or action is an intention, and this is where the reward aspect becomes important.

Aside from intrinsic rewards, there are also rewards that are extrinsic in nature. Extrinsic rewards are presented in the form of something tangible i.e. a large sum of money, a trophy, a certificate, and so forth. The result of doing a good deed can provide either intrinsic value, extrinsic value, or a combination of both - even better!

When you do a good deed, what kind of reward do you seek? Is it intrinsic? Or is it extrinsic? If the reward that you are looking for is purely extrinsic, then well...how long will it last? That initial buzz we get when we gain something tangible slowly fizzles out over time. [Talks in a sarcastic tone] thanks, hedonic adaptation.

In contrast, if you want to feel the sensation that i mentioned earlier [coughs and says that warm glow], do a good deed for intrinsic purposes. If you get a free gift in addition, then that's a bonus!

All in all, doing something good for someone else without expecting anything in return is a good deed because it comes from a place of authenticity, a wonderful quality to embody, wouldn't you agree? Performing acts of kindness will not only make the other person's day, but it will also make your day too. Everyone wins!

Thus, a good deed will be worth your while.