AIBU to think most people are intrinsicallly good?

[AdaHopper]

Dd1(10) broke her foot this week. She normally cycles to and from school with our au-pair. DH and I both work full-time. I have been breaking my head over logistics of how to get her dropped off and picked up.

On Friday morning at drop-off another mum inquired about her plaster and offered to drop her home off after school every day as her son does the same after school activities as my dd.

I don't know this mum very well so I am really touched by the offer. I have taken her up on it and will give her a nice hamper of goodies to thank her. She has taken away so much stress. What a great person!

What are your examples of how people are just awesome?

I think you’d be surprised about how many people would be willing to help if you asked. Generally I think we don’t like putting people out, so we don’t always ask for support and try to carry the load ourselves, but really most people muck in when needed.

It’s lovely to have your faith in humanity restored with these sorts of acts of kindness.

My friend’s daughter has leukaemia and it was beautiful how everyone came together to help. The parents at her school made a rota so the other DC had someone to collect and feed them when mum was staying late at the hospital, her teacher organised hand made get well cards from all her dd’s classmates, a few friends took turns cooking easy to heat up meals for when she was too busy/exhausted to do dinner etc. My friend was overwhelmed by the kindness people showed and how much they went out of their way to help.

Perhaps I'm overly suspicious, but I don't believe everyone I meet has goodness in their heart. Perhaps my view is coloured by the fact that I am an ex police officer, but I have seen enough appalling behaviour in my time to not trust anyone, so many people just have self interest at heart, or are looking to take advantage. Sad, but things I have witnessed in the past have made me very cautious of the over helpful stranger.

@Lucisky -I agree. In the USA I know of several supposedly ‘good’ people who saved lives in 9/11 and have since sold their stories for millions (or get paid thousands for inspirational talks). Truly good people are very, very rare.

I think that when people's own needs are met they are generally "good" to others.

I think this is exactly right. I've experienced many examples of kindness from strangers over the years.

I think we’re set at neutral and then act depending on the situation at hand. Every time I see a post about how ‘generally people are lovely’ I always instinctively think of fingernail scratch marks all up the walls in the gas chambers and people hacking at families living right next door in Rwanda. People are often very kind to those they are taught to see as neighbours and unspeakably cruel to those seen as other. I’m really glad when people are kind. But mostly, humans are pretty scary animals.

I do, of course, think that the School Mum is being good about helping you and your DD. Which is a nice thing to do. And I’m sorry your kid got hurt. Might have had a slight empathy wobble there myself...but I’m standing by my feelings that, as a group, people are a bit scary.

People are scary, I agree! It is scary what people are capable of. Gas chambers and other attrocities in mind.
What, imho, turns people 'bad' is often desperation and fear. And even then, I would like to believe many are intrinsically good who find themselves in a bad situation and make bad choices (not all, I agree!).

But... back to the nice stories! They give me faith in humanity. That is the way I would like to go through life - to try and see the good in everyone.