I have a rather tumultuous relationship with God, and with the Bible. But some things just seem so self-evident to me that I don’t even really argue with them. They’re not just right, they seem right, too.
In Matthew 6:19-21 (and I really hate quoting verse, but I’m going somewhere with this, I promise), Jesus says this:
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NIV)
And Matthew 6:2-5:
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (NIV)
I actually take these seriously. I do lots of good deeds.. well, a few, anyway, that no one knows about. I’m actually really careful not to tell other people what these good deeds are, because I feel that the more people that know, the cheaper the deeds are… and the more praise I get for it, the more diluted the deeds are.
So I don’t tell. These scriptures aren’t why in itself, but it does kind of outline the reasons why pretty well. (I do nothing solely because the Bible tells me to, that’s fraught with error).
Recently, two YouTube channels I subscribe to, “Rainman Ray” and “I Do Cars” did a collaboration where they helped a family with a van that had problems. The engine needed some repairs, and they couldn’t afford it. Ray took out the engine, and worked with Eric to refurbish it, and now the family has a working van with no engine problems.
This was a good deed. Unquestionably. By no means am I saying they shouldn’t have done it. If you see someone in need and have the means to help, by all means. That’s not what I’m going to criticize.
Each of them made a video about the process, kind of humble-bragging (in my opinion) about the good deed that they did. And the comment sections of each video were plastered with people praising them for the good deed they did.
I rather wish they hadn’t done that. I don’t think it was very classy and I felt like their good deed was cheapened. Or, even, dare I say, cheap.
I don’t have any antipathy towards these two creators specifically. They’re not the only ones to have done this. And in some cases, you really have to rally the troops. Like, for example, when “David Heretic” does a fund drive that depends on peoples’ participation. I can understand that, because the good deed is intrinsically tied to the actual fundraising or whatever drive the creator is doing. That’s a little different than “hey, look at the good deed I did!”
This is different. These two creators said very specifically that they didn’t need help, they didn’t need donations, they they were both doing the good deed of their own volition and efforts and no one else’s assistance was needed or even wanted.
So why bother telling us? How is this any different from “virtue signaling”?
The family itself made a video of their own, thanking these two creators for their help. And if it had stayed there, that would have been great. I mean, just because you’re not supposed to blow trumpets and sound horns and tell everyone how great you are, doesn’t mean the recipient can’t. I’d say “do what you want to do, but I’m not going to publicly acknowledge it”, in their shoes.
I don’t know these people. For all I know they were humble-bragging, and for all I know, they were utterly sincere. But the fact is, I don’t know these people. I don’t know which one is true. All I have to go by is what they said in their videos, and what they did in said videos. And, truth be told, I like their channels just that little bit less, now. Their product is a little cheaper to me now, because there is the possibility (because I don’t know them, only a possibility) that these deeds were done more for the clicks and views than anything else.
That may not be true! But again, I don’t know them. I only have what they posted in their videos. If I made any inferences to their personal character from their videos, I’d be engaging in a parasocial relationship, and I don’t do parasocial. And what they posted in their videos really felt like, well, they got their reward.
Personally – and I have failed at this in the past – I would rather people not know. One thing I did a couple of years ago that immediately comes to mind, only the person who I helped and I know. And it will stay that way. Because any praise I would get for it, is a reward that I don’t get in “heaven”, however those rewards turn out.
If you’re fans of these channels, great. I don’t hate them. They make good content (I watch “I do cars” tear down engines every week). I don’t know, hate, or even like them as people. Very likely, neither do you. They seem well-intentioned and this is a criticism I could level on hundreds of creators, easily (Mr. Beast is AWFUL at this, and his good deeds are as cheap as they come). This is just the event that spurred me on to writing this post. So unless you’re the creators themselves here to tell me how much of an asshole I am (and maybe I am), I don’t want to hear it, truthfully. I’m not really interested in having a debate about people that neither of us know and whose motives both of us would only be assuming.
You know, it’s funny, thinking about it. I tell people all the time that I’m one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. And it’s true. I also tell them that you don’t want to be this smart, because it’s a curse, and I caution them to not want it, to enjoy being not as smart, because it is much, much more enjoyable. I wonder if that comes across as humble-bragging. It’s certainly not meant that way, I mean it exactly as I say it. I am that smart, and you don’t want it. I am not bragging, at best, I’m sad and lamenting it. I don’t want it, it leads to a miserable life more often than not. but I suppose even perceptions of me might be a little off sometimes. So I exclude myself from nothing.