Comments on: On the kindness of strangers https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/ A blog about political change, among other things Tue, 10 Mar 2026 02:43:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 By: AesopFan https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2844042 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 02:43:40 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2844042 I read once that there is (or was) a cultural norm in China that if you helped anyone avoid danger, or who had an ability problem, you had to keep helping them, even having a socially-imposed responsibility for them.
You literally could not do a “small” kindness.

Sorry I have no links.
It was in the context of a child in the street getting run over (or perhaps nearly so), where no one would step in to help.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843420 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:51:14 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843420 nefron

Been in places with lots of Chinese such as national parks. Their view of personal space is not ours.

]]> By: neo https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843311 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:35:45 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843311 nefron:

Interesting.

With my ex, it’s often somewhat older people making the offer, but it certainly sometimes is younger people too. But it’s not a situation where anyone has to give up a seat.

]]> By: nefron https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843302 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:29:56 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843302 It was interesting to note who would show kindness to me when I was wearing a brace and on crutches after a knee surgery and riding a crowded trolley where I live. Older English-speaking people of all races had a much higher likelihood of offering me a seat than younger people, who usually never gave up the chance to browse on their phones in comfort (while seated), even ones sitting in the seats designated for people with disabilities near the doors. Also, I found that Chinese people of any age (of which there are a large number in my city) would never offer me a seat, which I assumed was something cultural, but possibly prejudicial. So if I was surrounded by a bunch of seated kids and Chinese people, it was often a frail old lady who would stand up and offer me her seat, which I would decline, hoping someone else would be shamed into acting. But invariably, no one did in those cases.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843190 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:34:30 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843190 Generally, almost by definition, a “small kindness” is a minimal effort compared to the help needed. Thus, when the thanks proffered is in proportion to the much larger, in a sense, help needed, it’s almost embarrassing,

]]> By: Marlene https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843178 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:09:28 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843178 Mrs Whatsit, at 7:16pm:
“Small Kindnesses” by Danusha Laméris.
That was lovely! Thank you for sharing it.

]]> By: Marlene https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843176 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:04:26 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843176 TJ, I am so sorry about your childhood. Honestly, I’m in a similar boat.
It has necessitated a long learning process to adequately judge what is kindness vs scamming or “grooming” intentions.
An abusive home life can cause a lot of vulnerability to what is encountered outside of it.

]]> By: AesopFan https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843170 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:37:07 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843170 Cicero, I don’t really have an answer to why a group of us together loses that graciousness, although Neo could host a round-table or two discussing options.

However, I have a rather sad story that gave me a snapshot of when and who.

Some years ago now, on a long-since-forgotten blog post or comment thread, I read a comment by a woman who gave an account of driving along the highway and seeing a van with another woman and children pulled off to the side of the road, clearly needing assistance. She started to pull over, she recounted, and then noticed that the van had a “Bush for President” sticker on it.
“So I drove on by,” she concluded, clearly expecting to receive commendation for her “principled” actions, rather than the aghast horror that I personally felt.

I don’t remember the general position of the responses, if there were any; it was the clearly self-satisfied tone with which the comment was offered IN PUBLIC that I remember.

Things have only gotten worse, I’m afraid.
I glad people in parking lots follow their instincts, and hope there aren’t a lot who look at bumper stickers first, but I’m very saddened that far too many do, and then make a political rather than truly principled choice.

]]> By: CICERO https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843164 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:53:29 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843164 The instinctive gaciousness of humans to one another is surprising and wonderful. But a group of us together loses that. Why?

]]> By: Jimmy https://thenewneo.com/2026/02/28/the-kindness-of-strangers/#comment-2843158 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:58:32 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=147065#comment-2843158 A couple of days ago I was in a not-so-good neighborhood in upper Manhattan. I saw a Hispanic-looking teenager holding the hand of an older lady with a cane trying to navigate a patch of snowy sidewalk. I didn’t take much notice, assuming it was his grandmother. But when they got to the end of the patch and the sidewalk was clear, he turned and went the other way as she thanked him. Just a kid helping a stranger. Made my day.

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