Give a Little Love
Posted by aloyloy on October 5, 2007
This newest Coke commercial is my favorite so far. It starts off dirty and downright nasty a la GTA, then leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside… in just 60 seconds. I can’t stop watching:
It kind of reminded me of the movie Pay It Forward, the 2000 film based on the book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and on the moral philosophy of social reciprocity. The movie and the book describe the Pay It Forward Doctrine as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment for a good deed one receives. In this way, not only are good deeds continually done and perpetuated, they are done so exponentially (it’s like pyramiding!). The goal, obviously, is to make the world a better place to live in (awww…).
One question though. Isn’t goodness (and the subsequent desire to do a good deed) supposedly an intrinsic characteristic and not dependent on the circumstance that a good deed has been done to you? Why is there a need for an inspiration to do good? (ie, a repayment for a previous good deed done to you, or a promise that life will be better after a good deed you have done) Why does the song (in the ad) not just say, “give a little love” instead of “give a little love and it all comes back to you?” And (ugly comment about the Church coming up), why does the promise of eternal life on Heaven have to be used as a come-on for good deeds here on Earth?
I remember what our PVM (Perceptions and Values in Medicine) lecturer used to say: that we should always strive to maintain rapport with our patients; because in doing so, we ensure that the patient is satisfied with the consult (no matter what the turn-out, whether he gets well or not), and he subsequently retains us as physician, aside from referring us to his friends and family members. The come-on used for rapport-building and good bedside manners is the eventual benefit of a good standing in the eyes of more patients. I don’t know about you, but I’m turned off.
As self-righteous as this might sound, good deeds (and bedside manners) should come naturally, expectedly, and consistently. There is no consideration for repayment or reward, nor is there need for inspiration or compulsion. The repayment, if at all, is the happiness (yes, that warm and fuzzy feeling inside) that a good deed has been done. In today’s sad sad world, that alone may suffice.
manggy said
I agree, Aloy, but they of course were appealing to the selfish part of the world’s population– the “What’s in it for me?” part– which I believe is the majority. The ad’s not for you, hahaha!
(start my belief system) I don’t think your comment on the Church was ugly, Aloy. It’s good to be seeking the answers to these questions. Well, I believe that heaven and hell do exist. They’re kind of going to be missing a big detail if they don’t at least say that! Another thing I believe in: people are inherently self-centered (really), and if you place them in solitary confinement from birth, the concept of responsibility will probably never come to them. Children are difficult to predispose to altruism, so you have to set the ground rules. Only time will tell if these children grow up to realize that to do good deeds is to be an imitation of Christ– that we were put on Earth to be good to each other. (/end my belief system– you’re free to express your beliefs, but anybody who poopoohs mine will DIE by my hand)
The “Pay It Forward” thing, even though the movie was a complete snorefest from start to finish, was just a reminder to those of us who’ve forgotten that nothing good ever comes to us by accident. Somebody made it happen, and sooner or later, it has to be us.
Fuck the lecturer. Who cares about referrals? Honestly? I’ve sometimes in the dark solitude of my apartment shed a few tears thinking about some of my patients (who are ALIVE, mind you, heh heh) who’ve really shown me examples of great faith in times of adversity. How’s that for reciprocity?