Exceptions

When I wrote my Q&A on my view of human nature I wrote about how I view people as being inherently selfish beings who only seek to do good if it is beneficial to them or makes them feel good about themselves in some way. The same day that I wrote the Q&A I was in the shower when I heard someone getting violently sick in one of the stalls next to me (it was the middle of the day, so I highly doubt that the girl was drunk.) I should tell you here that I have a pretty extreme fear of getting sick and usually avoid sick people at all costs. However, at that moment I seriously considered getting out of the shower and going to help the girl. Why would I do this? There would have been no reward for me to help her. In fact, I probably would have gotten sick. For whatever reason, I found myself feeling strongly that I should help the girl out. I should also mention that I don't exactly care for most of the girls on my floor. I think what Professor Johnson said in class now holds some weight for me: people just have some natural inclination to help each other out.

Have you ever wanted to help someone even if the consequences could be negative for you?