🥸 hypocritical samaritan?

Are most "samaritans" just too busy to be good?

Researchers at Babson college wanted to find out if the story of the Good Samaritan could actually prompt people to help someone in need.

Better yet - they set the stakes high by recruiting students from the Princeton Theological Seminary who were studying to be ministers.

(People who should know the parable by heart and feel the need to live it's values)

They were all assigned to one of two groups:

• First group was told they'd be giving a talk about the Good Samaritan parable

• Other group was told they'd be giving a talk on job opportunities to seminary students

When they showed up at the lab for their appointment, researchers told them they needed to head to a building on the other side of campus to give their talk.

Prticipants were told one of three things. Either:

• They were ahead of schedule and had plenty of time (low-hurry condition)

• They were right on schedule (moderate-hurry condition)

• They were late and their audience was waiting for them (high-hurry condition)

On the way across campus, they each walked by a guy coughing and groaning, slumped over in a doorway. (He was an actor - part of the study)

Researchers sat back and counted how many people stopped to help him.

Sadly, it turns out being primed to think about the Good Samaritan didn't make anyone more likely to stop and help.

It's crazy to think that some of these seminary students on the way to give a talk about the Good Samaritan quite literally stepped over a man in need on the way!

What did make a difference was how much of a hurry they were in.

Those who were ahead of schedule with plenty of time were 6 times (!) more likely to stop and help.

Sometimes I've felt like I don't seem to have many opportunities to serve others. Over the last few months though, I can recognize that every time I was able to do something truly kind for someone was when I was not in much of hurry to get somewhere.

So, what's the best way to help more people?

Hurry less.

There's two ways to look at this.

If you wanna help more people:

1. Be less busy

2. Be early more often

Both strategies open the opportunity and time to help someone you might find along your way.

Thanks for reading!

- Kody

P.S. Instead of a song this week, I wanted to sharemy all-time favorite short-film that you've probably never seen (despite it having 10M views). It's 100% worth every second. You'll feel better and wanna be kinder by the end.