To think most people “help others” for the ego boost, not actual compassion?

[QuietMotiveFinch]

We love a good deed when there’s a photo or story attached. Charity has become a kind of performance. I’m not saying people never care but the self-promotion often feels louder than the empathy. AIBU to think that real compassion is quiet, not branded?

The value of an act of charity to the beneficiary is unchanged whether its performed quietly or otherwise.
As a person with many years of experience working for charities, knowing all the time that the essential support we were providing would need to cease were it not for raised income, I can assure you neither we nor are services users placed higher value on an anonymous cheque than someone beaming from the local paper about their good work on our behalf.
In fact strictly speaking the latter was of greater value, because they were also publicising the cause.

Why are people even bothering arguing with AI written text?

It always makes me laugh when people get arsey with celebrities who do charity work ‘just to improve their image’. Sure, they might indeed be doing it for that reason, but so what? The charity still benefits regardless of the motive.

The charity benefits FAR more than by just the amount the 'celebrity' gives, by publicising this. Just have a look at how many people have donated to the charity nominated by Alan Carr when he won Traitors this week, as a very current example.

Oh well. I've been sponsoring dogs who got out of kill shelters into foster for years. Paid money to get a couple of dogs out of a kill shelter and giving money to several animal charities - must be doing it all wrong

Seriously. Give over. Loads of people give with no fanfare

Kindness hasn't changed shape over time.The highly visible, branded kind isn't new.

Businesses have always been charitable for goodwill/marketing purposes.

If you're judging the world by what 'influencers' do you're always going to get a skewed view of the world.

Give us one real world example that proves your point OP. You can't can you.

I think it varies. For some people it may be more about an ego boost; others may feel genuinely attached to the work.

I volunteer for a charity (I do voluntary work in an Oxfam bookshop) and I don't do it for an ego boost, but nor do I volunteer out of any concern for the cause or personal desire to help anyone. I volunteer in the bookshop purely for pleasure; I find the work enjoyable. Oxfam and its work don't interest me; it's the fact that it's a bookshop that makes me volunteer, rather than it being a charity.

I run a brownies group - I really like it when they enjoy the sessions I run, that's the reward I get - does that count? I don't get that even small reward from all the admin, training, having to repeat info for parents numerous times etc..

This. Altruism is always selfish.

And hard-wired BTW, genetic.

Social media is just the newest way of getting a lovely boost from doing it.