CharityFocus Blog: Pay-It-Forward Liberty Mutual Ad

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Pay-It-Forward Liberty Mutual Ad

Posted by Nipun Mehta on Oct 10, 2006

It's not quite the pay-it-forward idea of the people paying the toll for the person behind them on the bridge; instead, it's someone who witnesses the act of kindness who does the next one. Very powerful. Sets you, the viewer, up to be the next one in the chain, but doesn't bind you into a particular action.

Here's the line from the end of the commercial: "When it's people who do the right thing, they call it 'being responsible,' when it's an insurance company, they call it 'Liberty Mutual'. Responsibility: what's your policy?"

Posted by Nipun Mehta | comments (1) | permalink | more 'Inspiration' |

Comments

On Dec 04, dave* wrote:*		I don't necessarily think about this wonderful commercial in terms of charity but rather, believe it or not, in terms selfishness which, actually, in my mind are one and the same thing. (1) Helping someone makes me feel good; (2) Someone who has been helped is more apt to help someone else and i may be the recipient of their kindness down the road. In other words, we should perform acts of kindness because they make us feel good, not because they make others feel good. That does not mean that an act of kindness was not appreciated or was unhelpful to the recipient (after all, if it weren't, it wouldn't be an act of kindness). But our own need to be happy is what should motivate an act of kindness. I guarantee you Bill and Melinda gates wake up each morning feeling amazing knowing they are helping so many with their generous contributions. Bill Gates has been quoted as saying that he enjoys his charitable work far more than he ever did his work at Microsoft. (Perhaps some may question his motives for getting involved in charitable -- e.g., the need to change the world's perception of him at the height of anti-trust case with the European Commission and the DOJ.)