site help: Help.com is way to addictive. - Help.com

Interesting isn’t it? I wonder what the human drive behind this? is it that we are just very nice people who want to help? or are we just very nosey people? or is it cause we are bored and want to do something useful? Is it just fun being part of a community that is usually serving a purpose? I don’t know, but I agree.

I read a sociological study a few years ago assessing the happiness per capita of different countries through survey and interviewed case studies. The United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom all scored below Nigeria. The study hypothesised that capitalism was making us unhappy. In Nigeria, there is a huge reliance on community and basic trade (I’ll grow you food if you build my house) rather than centralised economy like we’re used to in the west. This was broken down to speculate that the key to happiness is in fact altruism.

People who need money think making more money will make them happy. They get the pay rise, and they’re still not happy. The very wealthy aren’t happy either. Some people set out to get famous believing that the fame and adoration will make them happy, then we see celebrities like Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen who clearly are not happy. However, a farmer living in a tin barn in rural Nigeria - growing food for his local community, relying on his neighbour to repair his tools, scored higher than the majority of western citizens.

Why? Because he lives an altruistic life. The moral? Random acts of kindness are the key to happiness; happiness is what we strive for as human beings - therefore help.com is addictive.

Robben wrote:
I read a sociological study a few years ago assessing the happiness per capita of different countries through survey and interviewed case studies. The United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom all scored below Nigeria. The study hypothesised that capitalism was making us unhappy. In Nigeria, there is a huge reliance on community and basic trade (I’ll grow you food if you build my house) rather than centralised economy like we’re used to in the west. This was broken down to speculate that the key to happiness is in fact altruism.

People who need money think making more money will make them happy. They get the pay rise, and they’re still not happy. The very wealthy aren’t happy either. Some people set out to get famous believing that the fame and adoration will make them happy, then we see celebrities like Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen who clearly are not happy. However, a farmer living in a tin barn in rural Nigeria - growing food for his local community, relying on his neighbour to repair his tools, scored higher than the majority of western citizens.

Why? Because he lives an altruistic life. The moral? Random acts of kindness are the key to happiness; happiness is what we strive for as human beings - therefore help.com is addictive.

I like that!

The addiction comes from good vibe from helping (the altruism Robben mentioned) combined with randomness and the ability to have your needs and opinions heard.. I’ve tried to kick the “help habit” a few times, so my advice is to limit your time here and be aware that some people here are being themselves while others are creating a false persona.

Agree with you both.
However, I still can’t help but think there is also a selfish aspect to our “random act of kindness”. Think about it, when you are confronted with all those problems (many of which are very serious) it does make one’s own issues fade to insignificance. At a subconscious level this can be very comforting to individuals.
Very similar to an addiction, its instictive for us to repeat the behavior that works(towards making us happy).