Take the Good Person test
It’s quick and simple.
This morning, on his commute to work, my friend and coworker Jason wondered why a stranger on the train silently took his picture.
When he got to the office and sat down, he learned from his colleagues that he had cut himself shaving and was bleeding noticeably from the neck.
The stranger on the train noticed the blood and snapped a pic, presumably to use on social media channels soon after.
This is bad humaning, and it inspired me to craft a quick little quiz.
Scenario! You are on the train. Someone you don’t know is bleeding in a noticeable but not life-threatening way. They don’t seem to know about the blood. What do you do?
A. Say something to the person about it.
B. Avert your gaze and do your best to ignore the bleeder.
C. Stealthily take a pic and post a super clever caption like “UGH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN A NUTSHELL”
Results! If you answered A, congrats. You’re a good person.
If you answered B, my gut says you’re in the majority of respondents. I also can’t tell from this data if you’re a good person or not.
If you answered C, you are not a good person and need to improve. What can you do about it?
How to be a better person in 2 steps
Step 1
If someone could use some help, help them.
Step 2
Don’t make a big deal about it.
Quick pep talk for people who answered B in that quiz: I know it’s scary to put yourself out there to a stranger. What if they get angry with you? What if you make them uncomfortable? This is the voice of Resistance, and it’s preventing you from making someone’s day a little bit better.
Practice makes perfect, and there are many humans to practice on. Hold some doors, identify food in the teeth, offer to help with heavy bags, and for crying out loud, LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY’RE BLEEDING, IDIOT.
Hi, I’m Luke. I’m a copywriter with Simple Truth. I challenge you to make someone’s day a little bit better today. Find me on Twitter if you want.
