A kind act not only benefits someone else, it can be good for you, too – so pass it on

‘When you get, give. When you learn, teach.’ Maya Angelou, the acclaimed author and civil rights activist, believed that this advice, passed down by her mother, was one of the greatest lessons she’d ever learned. It could also describe the concept of paying it forward, where a physical item, knowledge or a kind or positive deed is passed from one person to another.

It demonstrates that you don’t have to be rich or powerful to have a positive impact. After all, you can set a pay-itforward chain in motion just by smiling at a fellow shopper or commuter. Uplifted by the experience, they too might extend your friendly greeting to another passerby and, before you know it (in fact, you won’t know it), your goodwill could have radiated out into the world in the most wonderful way.

Ancient concept The idea, of course, isn’t new. It can be traced back to ancient Greece (see Literary Notes, overleaf) and has been practised through the ages by great thinkers. There are also modern-day examples, including Elizabeth Nyamayaro, whose memoir, I Am a Girl from Africa, was published in April 2021. As a child in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth was rescued from starvation by a UN worker, whose actions made such an indelible impression on her that she was inspired to devote her life to humanitarianism.