The Japanese have this term “intoku (陰徳)” which roughly translates to good deeds done in secret. What are some examples of intoku in your own life? Doesn’t matter even if it’s something minor like picking up trash.
I preload one or two gumball machines with quarters at the laundromat for nosy bored kids stuck there with their parent. I was that bored kid once, and now I’m at a place where I can give back a bit… I’ll also try to win toys at the claw machine and leave them in the bottom, but the success rate is bad.
Fyi the claw machine is literally a scam. The owner gets to set how often it will give a prize. Skill is essentially not involved at all. You’d do much much better buying a toy at a dollar store and just putting it into the win chute
Epic! That’s so cool
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If I see a freezer / fridge door open in a supermarket, I close it. Not for the supermarket, but for the planet
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as someone who stacked shelves as a teen, if I take an item and it leaves a gap, I pull the next one forward so the employee doesn’t have to keep fussing over the manager’s demand for it to be lined up
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my dad lives in a bungalow, on a small cul de sac of other bungalows. Sheltered housing for old folks. Litter often gets blown in and collects, I’ll pick it up every couple of weeks. Also cleared their paths / sprinkled salt when It snowed
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when old people are in the way, I don’t crowd up behind them. I’ll take a few steps back and wait so they don’t feel pressured
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if there’s an item in the road that could damage someone’s car, I’ll wait until it’s safe then remove the item
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if I see someone was down voted just for sharing their opinion (assumedly because the down voter is too childish to withstand an opposing opinion), I make sure to up vote it in an attempt to restore balance. Even if I don’t agree with said opinion (obviously this doesn’t apply to hateful rhetoric etc)
Prob a ton of other little things I can’t remember. Thanks for making this post!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that upvotes people being down voted for their opinion - provided it isn’t hurtful to others. I don’t want to find myself in an echo chamber, so I feel it’s important for other opinions to be thrown into the ring.
Exactly. And usually if I am replying to another comment later, I can see that balance has been restored by others doing the same :)
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If someone’s card declines I act like absolutely nothing happened and let them have their purchase for free. (Inflight drinks and snacks)
This is beautiful. I always bring candy for flight staff when I’m on a plane. Not an unseen kindness, but it makes everyone happier.
one time years ago i paid for the guy behind me at McDonald’s. he then proceeded to follow me all the way home to thank me. i haven’t done it again. lpt: if someone does that for you, just fuckin pay it forward so you don’t scare the crap out of a 21 year old.
now I’m a school custodian and i go out of my way in little ways, like watering/turning plants in the classrooms, etc. I’m not sure if they notice but it makes me feel good ☺️
In my case, a lot of it comes from my mountain biking hobby. I like doing unauthorized trail maintenance - sawing fallen trees off the path, laying logs over streams and mud pits so I (and others) can cross with dry feet. In winter, I sometimes ride the same trail back and forth multiple times so my fatbike tires can flatten the snow, which then freezes overnight into a perfect surface for dog walkers to walk on.
In my job, I occasionally spend my own time improving something beyond what the customer is paying me for.
At my gym, I always fill the water bucket in the sauna for the next person.
Once I also bought the supplies and fixed a hole in a fence that’s meant to keep moose and deer from walking onto the highway.
I don’t think it counts as “nobody watching” since many people saw it technically, but I will often pull over to ask if people on the side of the highway need help as long as I’m not running late for something.
I helped a Hispanic guy recently change his tire since he apparently misplaced his lug nut wrench and he had a blowout. I let him use mine and I topped off the air in his spare that was a little low. Took me a little while to figure out what he needed since he didn’t speak a word of English and I failed Spanish 3 times, but we got there using Google translate, hand signals and grunts haha.
I do it because I hope that if one day I was stranded on the side of the road (and somehow without all the tools I always carry around) that someone would be nice enough to stop and offer assistance.
Be the change you want to see in the world n all that.
On hiking trails, I move rocks and branches, and fix drainage at water bars. Tiny improvements which make the trail easier for all who follow.
In my neighborhood, I pick up trash. Usually I go until I have filled a grocery bag, about 30 minutes. Though people do notice it so it’s only partly secret/anonymous.
Does donating blood count?
I’d say yes, the nurses are not that impressed and the people who receive your blood will never know.
Only if you do it anonymously at some kind of blood donor glory hole.
I didn’t know that there are ways to donate blood nonymously
Blood donating is typically anonymous in the sense that the recipient doesn’t know who the donor is.
I am familiar with this way of functioning, but the person above seems to suggests that isn’t always the case
I’m more curious about donating cum
TIL men can do that.
Only if you don’t then post about it on social media
I put the toilet seat and lid down.
I park as far away as possible from the store (always to find someone parked right beside me upon return), and will grab a stray shopping cart if there’s one.
I live at a beach. I walk it at first light and p/u trash.I wonder if in a parking lot some people like to park next to an already parked car because it helps them get in between the lines on the first try. So you might be helping someone even though you didn’t know it!
I’ll look at it that way from hereon in…
But I would personally at least put a car’s gap away to eliminate the possibility of damage from door-opening…
But that defeats the purpose of using a neighboring car to help you get between the lines on the first try. It’s a selfish move, but that’s my guess why they do it
I don’t understand why they’d have to be adjacent; it’s not like we suddenly go blind just because there’s 1 car’s distance between us and our target, haha.
Because you can’t see through the car door to see where the lines are on the ground
Oh. I thought we were talking about being aligned so you’re not sticking out in depth on one side or the other, a.k.a. lining up your side mirrors.
I don’t get your first two, what does putting the toilet lid down achieve ? and why park specifically far away from the store ? is it so that other people get to park closer ? so you can get some exercise ?
I pick up trash on the trails, creeks and rivers. All my outdoor bags are pre-loaded with rolled up grocery bags. I’m almost always alone, but the lengths I’ll go to to snatch a beer can drives my wife and kids a little nuts.
One time we stopped the canoe under a railroad trestle and the kids saw all the garbage.
“Daddy! Don’t go get all that!” LOL, like it would have fit onboard.
My wife seems to have had a change of heart. Last time we were on the creek she kept pointing out possible litter.
“What is this? Go there.” (Her English is a little strange.)
Pick mah nose.
When get one of those long ass side boogies it feels like removing a nail from your foot.
which roughly translates to good deeds done in secret.
It seems like posting what I do would violate the intent of “intoku” and it would thereby no longer be a “when nobody is watching”.
I’m won’t disclose what I do. However, I’ll say that by not taking credit for any of my positive actions, it lets society take credit for the actions. It means someone doesn’t have to have me or someone like me in their lives, but rather all of us will help you. The person that did the small thing or the hero that saved you from ruin could be right next to you in line at the grocery store. I want everyone to have that feeling that some rando will have your back when you need it in some minor or major way.
The only way that happens is if I never talk about what I do to help. Thats a very small price to pay if it means someone else gets to feel the comfort of knowing others care about them.
I’d say that confessing a good deed anonymously online barely violates the intent of intoku. You don’t really get any credit for it because nobody will remember.
donations to trevor project
Maybe doesn’t count for this thread, but I love donating supplies to local school rooms, because I sometimes get hand-drawn thank-you cards.
I’ve put those hand-drawn thank-yous in a drawer to be specially part of my kid’s inheritance - as a reminder for them of what really matters in life.
I donate to charities, mostly ones that pertain to researching serious medical conditions that currently do not have a cure.
