Thread by @magi_jay

I just read Bad Art Friend & I don't have any desire to comment on the specifics of the story or to defend/criticize either woman. However, I have seen some comments arguing kidney donors shouldn't brag about their donations & PLEASE don't let that be the message you take away

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1445421037081042951

Again, I don't really care about this story. I care about KIDNEYS. Our country uses diseased donors & living donors, the latter being moved by altruism. We need MORE people to give their kidneys. A major way to get more people to give is for them to talk about their donation.

Sometimes we might find this irritating! "They only gave a kidney so they could feel good about themselves." Well, "kidney donation will make you feel good about yourself" is one way to get people to donate.

The National Kidney Donation Organization: "Be Someone's Gift of Life"

Altruism models depend on people actually talking about what inspired them to be altruistic. Sometimes altruism arises spontaneously in a human but, at other times, they need to hear, "This is how great it is to be altruistic!" Most people donate after hearing others' stories.

Donors are encouraged by organizations to do things like put these bumper stickers on their cars. "Be a Hero." "Share Your Spare" "Save A Life." Etc. If we didn't use this kind of messaging even fewer people would give kidneys and we need MANY MORE KIDNEYS.

And, again, if you find all of this irritating, but why does that matter as long as it has the good outcome of saving more lives? Maybe if MORE people bragged about donations on their cars, fewer people would have to be using their own cars to beg for kidneys.

The National Kidney Foundation WANTS people to share their stories!

Again, I am NOT commenting on the behavior of either woman in the story. I am talking about the responses to the story that say people should just be quiet about their altruistic behavior. No, they shouldn't be. It's one of the only ways we get more kidneys

Also, it is extremely important to encourage live non-directed donation. Deceased donor kidneys just aren't as good. And directed donation can place unintended pressure on families & friends. A non-direct donation from a stranger can remove pressure on someone else.