Thread by @WhatIsStoicism

When was the last time you helped someone without them knowing it was you?

Like a dog after a hunt, said Marcus Aurelius, we shouldn’t make a fuss when we help someone. We should just go on to the next thing.

Here’s why (with examples) you should do anonymous acts of kindness👇

Research suggests that altruism can improve your attitude and make you healthier, happier, and less stressed – otherwise known as the “helper’s high.”

Doing an act of kindness is gratifying, but there’s an added layer of satisfaction that comes with doing it anonymously.

In his song Nickels and Dimes, Jay-Z said the “purest form of giving is anonymous to anonymous.”

“The person on the receiving end doesn’t have to feel some kind of obligation to the giver,” he later explained. “And the person giving isn’t doing it with an ulterior motive.”

Anonymous act of kindness example: The donor who gave £40,000 to fund a young girl’s scoliosis surgery
itv.com/news/utv/2020-…

Anonymous act of kindness example: The Pineapple Fund
news.bitcoin.com/bitcoins-anony…

Other ideas for anonymous acts of kindness:
• Leave a suspended coffee at a coffee shop
• Donate to a @gofundme or @JustGiving campaign
• Pick up litter in your local area
• Send a letter to let someone know you admire them
• Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru

“The reward for all the virtues lies in the virtues themselves, for they are not practiced with a view to recompense; the wages of a good deed is to have done it.”

- Seneca The Younger