LibraryScenariosHow anonymous kindness can backfire
Scenario

How anonymous kindness can backfire

I anonymously paid my elderly neighbor's overdue electric bill last month and she spent two weeks trying to figure out who did it, and now I realize my good deed might have made her feel more helpless.

Rabia
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Well-intentioned actions can undermine dignity when they don't account for how the recipient experiences receiving help.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Buddhist merit and the ripple of good action?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.