Even though it might seem that people are
horrible and cruel, we know that’s not the
case all the time.
If we take a look at some of the nice things
that people have done for others, we will
come to a quick realisation that most human
interactions are rather positive.
So, why are people nice?
Maybe because we feel the need to be nice.
Seeing images of starving children when we’re
at home eating dinner makes us feel guilty
and anxious.
In order to get rid of that guilt and anxiety,
we donate money to the charity that helps
to feed the starving children.
Helping people in need makes us feel good
when we think about the amount of joy that
our help brings those in need.
We know that, sometimes, people even risk
their own lives to save others.
The Underground Railroad was a network of
secret tunnels in the United States used to
smuggle slaves out of the southern states
of America during the 19th century.
Levi Coffin––a wealthy businessman, was
an active leader in The Underground Railroad.
He risked his life and helped thousands of
slaves to escape to freedom.
Oskar Schindler risked his life to help save
the lives of over a thousand Jewish people
in Germany during World War II.
What makes these people different from the
rest of us?
Samuel Oliner and Pearl Oliner were interested
to answer this question (Oliner & Oliner,
1988).
They looked at the history of people who would
risk their lives to save Jews during World
War II, and examined the characteristics that
made them different from the other Germans
who did not risk their lives to help the Jews
during the Holocaust.
They found that really, there wasn’t much
difference between those who helped and those
who didn’t.
It wasn’t politics.
Some of those who risked their lives to help
others were left wing, and some were right
wing.
It wasn’t religion––some of them were
religious, some of them weren’t.
However, they found that it was parenting
that was different.
Those who were willing to risk their lives
to help others had parents who taught them
to be empathetic, and they were taught how
to take the perspective of others.
This is a skill that parents can teach to
their children.
