Kristianne Ocampo
Bruce Bainum
Psychology Seminars
8 January 2009
Fun Vs. Philanthropy
Earlier this week, the result of a coin toss determined that I would exercise philanthropy through an act of service to benefit people other than myself. I decided a simple coffee run would be the perfect means of doing so. I called five of my friends; two of whom were sick with the seasonal flu and three of whom were in for a long night of studying. I inquired their orders, made note as I ran down to the Grind, and placed an $18.00 order for two chamomile teas, two strawberry italian sodas with whip cream, and one tuxedo soy latte with a half pump of carmel. Ten minutes later with a recycled paper tray in hand, I walked as briskly, yet carefully, as I could. Wanting to get out of the 40 degree weather, I kept a decent speed whilst trying to not trip on an unlit, cracked sidewalk. Successfully, I made it to Chan Shun, then Grainger and Clark Hall, followed by the library basement, and finally, up three flights of steps in Andre Hall. Never had I been so exhausted and it was not until this moment that I wondered why I did not purchase a cool drink for myself. Although at the time I wish I had, I am glad I did not get myself a drink. It would take away from the whole experience of doing something kind and helpful for others. If a small gesture such as dropping off a drink could cause my friends to smile for just a moment before they had to return to their books or Kleenex tissue, I would do it over and over again. The amount of time, effort and money needed to do such an act was well worth it. It felt nice to take a moment to be generous and unselfish; to make life easier or more pleasurable for someone who needed a pick me up more than I did. My reaction was far beyond what I expected, that I felt as though the experience benefited me as much, if not more, than those whom I gave the drinks to.
The next day, I took it upon myself to indulge in a little fun and take a break from studying. Browsing through my lists of movies, I came across the complete first and second seasons of Friends. Despite the fact that I had already seen all of them, the jokes and humor never get old to me. For the next half hour, I enjoyed my time with Monica, Chandler, Joey, Pheobe, Ross and Rachel. Laughing (and snorting) the way I typically do when watching my favorite show, the episode sadly came to an end. Equally sad, I can barely recall the details of the episode (even when this part of the experiment came later in the week).
When reflecting upon the degrees of gratification each choice provided, my ‘fun’ time paled in comparison to my philanthropic deed. What I expected to be thirty solid minutes of joy transpired to be just another segment lost in a sea of other episodes I do not remember. The coffee run for my friends is something I will remember much longer than the details of my self serving study break. Although my favorite show will always tickle my heart in it’s own special way, there is nothing more gratifying than making others happy. This experience has led me to the realization that I would rather promote the welfare of others before my own interests.
