It is a curious society that we inhabit at the moment. Suspicion of peoples motives has become endemic, and altruism is considered with a side long sneer by people sure there must be an angle somewhere. Unfortunately this attitude has permeated both business and private aspects of life.
I was walking down the street the other day (well actually about 5 years ago) when a little girl fell over and grazed her knee. As she was crying and bleeding and I had a plaster to hand I helped her mum to get her up and proffered the sticking plaster only to be met with a look of confusion, sliding through suspicion and then finally gratitude.
It was like she couldn't imagine why a stranger would help - but surely what decent stranger wouldn't help when confronted with a crying child that you can help. It's sad that people are living in a state of fear (particularly parents) always wondering if the kind stranger has an alternative motive. When did the idea of just helping people for the sake of it become so alien to our way of thinking?
It's an attitude that permeates business transactions these days. The idea that you are genuinely not trying to rip people off is so alien to most peoples viewpoints that they are constantly looking for the catch. It might be funny if it weren't just so sad.
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