Unintended Consequences

I listen to satellite radio a lot at work. A lot of times it is all I have to do. So one time this radio host was telling his audience about a traveling salesman friend who was on the road. Turns out he had finished up his meeting a day early but the hotel room was still paid for another night.

So he found a homeless guy and gave him the room to spend the night in and get cleaned up. I don't think anyone would disagree that his heart was in the right place. The host went on to explain that the salesman had received a bill from the hotel for around four hundred dollars after the homeless guy had cleaned out the honor bar.

The salesman had learned a lesson about kindness coming back to bite you.

Being idealistic myself (and contemplating a new project) I am running into this very problem. I don't want to reveal what it is since it might not happen right now. It is an idea that is getting thought over though quite a bit.

I have to wonder, What If that salesman's generosity to the homeless man took a temporary detour but later took hold allowing the homeless man the hand up he needed? Perhaps he has a job and a roof over his head now because of his random encounter with the salesman? Are you saying it isn't possible?

Perhaps it isn't likely but it IS possible.

OK so what if it didn't work the way I would like it to work and the homeless man just went and got drunk and passed out in an alley. The likely outcome. What if you had shown kindness to a lot of people in trouble, would the outcome still be the same for everyone of them?

I think the likelihood that everyone would continue status quo is diminished now. Someone WOULD be effected in the intended way.

Now consider that is only the people in the deepest trouble, the homeless or drug addicted. What if someone just needed a little help to out of a jam? Perhaps they could then turn around and help someone else out of a jam!

Now the well intentioned person could have things going in their favor exponentially.