Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Pay it forward..

Have you watched the movie "Pay it forward"? If you haven't seen it, I really recommend you to see it. The story was really good and really inspiring. The movie tells a story about a boy who's doing a project in his social studies. He came up with the concept of "Pay it forward". He believes that if people forward the kindness that the other people gave to him, the other person who receive it will have to do nothing buy forward the kindness to the other people and so on. So the story continues until the "Pay it forward' concept goes back to the person who first forward it. I can say that this is like a good karma. If you do good to other people, you'll eventually get the kindness from other people too. Remember, God is always awake. God always know those who make kindness and help other people. Below is the meaning of the concept and I just found out that those people who actually came up with this concept. Those are Benjamin Franklin, Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes and Robert A. Heinlein.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the concept. The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. More specifically, the creditor offers the debtor the option of "paying" the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds. In sociology, this concept is called "generalized reciprocity" or "generalized exchange". A related transaction, which starts with a gift instead of a loan, is alternative giving.


The concept was described by Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Webb dated April 22, 1784:
I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes (February 14, 1913 –March 12, 1987) was a college football coach who is best remembered for winning five national titles and 13 Big Ten championships in 28 years at Ohio State University. He popularized the term with one of his famous quotes, "You can never pay back; but you can always pay forward."

The term "pay it forward" was coined, or at least popularized, by Robert A. Heinlein in his book Between Planets, published in 1951:
The banker reached into the folds of his gown, pulled out a single credit note. "But eat first — a full belly steadies the judgment. Do me the honor of accepting this as our welcome to the newcomer."His pride said no; his stomach said YES! Don took it and said, "Uh, thanks! That's awfully kind of you. I'll pay it back, first chance.""Instead, pay it forward to some other brother who needs it."

(images from yournews.com and tumblr)

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