1. Prosocial Behavior
23/4/14
Prosocial behaviors are those who intend to help other people. It can be divided into
two types, which is either the egoistic or the altruistic model. The egoistic model involves
behaviors that are done for selfish reasons whereas the altruistic model involves behaviors that
are done for selfless reasons. I’ve had tons of experiences of helping people, especially charity
drives and what not. For example, it was Christmas Eve last year, where I was having dinner
alone while my family was off for their Europe trip. I was about to drive off from the restaurant
when I noticed the empty lot next to me had a poor family covered in a big blanket. I drove
back to the restaurant, bought some food for the family and just spent my time with them. It
didn’t matter to me when I had to pay for them, especially when I did not expect a single favor
from them. I just sat down with them, and talked with them while they had their dinner. I
watched them eat in joy, probably because they couldn’t afford to eat anything for a while.
From this experience, I can see that I am an altruistic model in prosocial behavior. I was able to
help a family without expecting anything from them. In my honest opinion, I believe that there
is no need to expect a favor once you’ve helped someone. As long as other people are happy, it
is almost as good enough as it is to see them happy.