People Describe The Small Things They Do That Make The World A Better Place
The world can be a scary, dark place sometimes. The news only reports on the sad incidents, we grow up to learn hard truths, and even our personal lives can lead to horrors.
It's easy to get bogged down with all the terrible things in the world. The solution? Do something that can make the world a better place.
This doesn't have to be a big act or grandiose gesture. Something small that will make a difference in just one person's life is enough. Buy someone coffee. Offer help to a fellow student or colleague. Even giving someone a genuine compliment can go a long way.
Redditors are full of stories of things they do to the world a better place.
Curious to find out more, Redditor JustAnotherPyroMain asked:
"What’s a little thing you do to make the world a better place?"
Let Them Know They Did Good
"I am shy so I find it hard to say in person when I have received good or great customer service so I like to email the company directly and let them know. I always try to remember the person's name and to be specific, so that it might make it back to the employee or they might win an employee of the month award."
– bebe-glazer
"It really does make a difference. I had a flight attendant that did a great job, and I tweeted about it. When he had me on a flight like 6 months later he remembered me and proudly told me they read my tweet in a training class. You’re doing a fantastic thing by doing that."
– deeznutz1946
My Ticket Is Your Ticket
"I used to leave my parking permit on the permit machines if I had an early day at community college so someone else didn’t have to pay. Turns out it started a trend and people still do it."
"I can’t take the full credit though, I think someone accidentally bought two and didn’t realize it so they left it at the machine."
– waiting_for_rain
"I used to do the same with bus tickets."
"The bus tickets in my area used to do paper tickets that were valid all day. So when I got off the stop near my flat I'd leave the ticket in the bus stop for the next person."
"The tickets are all on an app now, or online monthly payments."
– CatDeeleysLeftNipple
Donate, Donate, Donate
"Donate blood products. Your body's constantly making red blood cells and platelets, and it's harmless (and possibly healthy) to donate. I started with whole blood because, well, that's what "donating blood" means to people. Fifteen minutes of time, eat a cookie, get a sticker."
"After I did that for a few gallons I was asked if I'd consider donating platelets. They have to be used within five days of collection so there's always a constant need, but it takes about two hours to do it. A single pint of blood doesn't have enough for a platelet transfusion, so the donor ends up hooked to an apheresis machine that'll centrifuge the blood, remove the platelets, and return the rest of the blood back to the body. So I end up watching Netflix for 2 hours on Saturday while doing another triple donation, every other week, up to 24 times a year."
"It's like Spider-Man's quote in Civil War: "When you can do the things I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen ... they happen because of you." Obviously donating like this isn't saving the world, but it's making the world a better place, and I'd feel ashamed if I just spend that time watching Netflix at home instead of doing some good at the same time."
"(I also donated bone marrow in 2008, so that was a little more of a "if you can help and don't, and bad things happen, it's your fault" situation, as I was the best available match in the entire world for my recipient. That was a little thing to me, but a life-changing thing for that person's family.)"
– mathnoodle
Eco-Friendly
"Cut all 6 pack rings."
– DarkSideNS
"My 5 year old assigned himself this task after watching Blue Planet. Every time he is so happy that no birds or turtles will die bc of our 6 pack rings."
– Tintri77
Do Away With Litter
"Clean up"
– itchy_cunt
"Helps a lot. Any time I go walking through a park I pick up some trash. It's only a handful or two typically, but I figure it adds up over time."
– Sadisticdwarf13
Be Nice To Those In The Service Industry
"I always make sure to be overly polite to people serving me, wether in a restaurant or a shop and I always tell them to have a good day when I leave. Having worked in retail I know a simple how are you, thank you or a have a nice day can mean a lot, especially on a bad shift. I was raised to have good manners and I’ll be damned if I don’t flex them at any opportunity I have. It always surprises/saddens me that other people can’t be the same way."
– Kylo_Jen
Everyones Words Matter
"When someone gets cut off repeatedly in conversation I make an effort to make eye contact with them and say “Go ahead... I’m listening...” or something along those lines."
– Groovyjackrackham
"Yes! I do this too, and you can tell by the look on their face that it’s really appreciated. Everyone knows how it feels to have a story cut off, especially if it happens more than once. Good on you."
– bassocontinubow
The Third Magic Word
"I say “thank you”, sincerely. Simple but effective."
– waterguy45
"My husband always says "you're welcome" whenever anyone thanks him for anything. You wouldn't believe how often we skip it until you hear him. He holds a door open and someone mutters thanks, he says you're welcome. He hands me a dish I'm reaching for and I just 'thanks,' and he says you're welcome. Always does. No matter how small or inconsequential."
"Slight clarification: he never says No Problem or anything else. (I don't know if I buy it, but I did hear once that no problem has an unspoken connotation that it (the action) could have been a problem). I personally do like My Pleasure, and I use all of these. My husband, though, only says You're Welcome. Try it for every little thing, you'll be noticed, and no, it doesn't come across as insincere or overly formal (he definitely is not that! lol)."
– lazyMarthaStewart
Take And Replace
"When I remove an item from a grocery store shelf, I move the same item forward to replace it. Esp top shelf items"
– MYSILLYGOOSE
"Short people like me appreciate you!!"
– catastrophized
A Small Act Of Protection
"I always go on the side of the sidewalk closest to the cars when I see an elderly person or someone with a baby. I doubt anything changes really but I like to think I'm being selfless..."
– Keygzy
"As someone frequently with a baby, I would notice and appreciate this."
– mummyshark1319
No Stupid Questions
"Answering any question, now matter how stupid, to the best of my ability."
"If someone has a genuine question about something, it's a d*ck move to ridicule them for it. This just promotes stupidity because people will be too scared to find out the truth for something."
– Fixer81
"Related to this, I always try to update forum posts and the like if I find the answer to a question that I've asked, e.g."
"How do you do the thing?"
"Edit: I figured out how to do the thing on my own. You have to do X, Y, and Z."
"Anyone in tech is well familiar with the "nvm guys I figured it out myself" posts which screw over people in the future who are looking for the same solution."
– RobertNAdams
Just Talk
"When you see someone that looks down or lonely,talk to them. You might make a good friend."
– Deleted User
"Having been that person, thank you. I can’t thank the random people who stopped what they were doing just to start a conversation with me, but it was always needed and it always saved me. So thank you, for the people you’ve saved."
– tBrenna
These are all so heartwarming!
Do you have any kind acts you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments.