Argumentative Essay on Humans Are Altruistic

Humanity is selfless. There are small acts and large acts that individuals perform to shape humanity. Some you probably have done yourself. It might be something as small as complimenting someone or letting someone go in front of you because they are in a rush. There are also larger acts of kindness like donating your time and money to a cause you believe in. Although humanity is complex and has numerous different sides and different types of people, Humans are altruistic and look out for one another and help those in need.

First, we should look back to the article “Help Him Up!’: A Witness's Account of Panic on a Subway Platform”. Here we can see a man help a homeless man after he had fallen onto the subway tracks. This honorable man named Mr. Capuzzo said “If nobody does anything, he’s going to die”, so he did something. Something big. He risked his own life without giving a second thought. He didn’t know this man, however, he knew that he had to be the one to “do something” and save this man. Another instance where we can see how humanity is helpful is in the “Look for the Helpers” video. Here Fred Rodgers proclaims “look for the helpers, there will always be helpers.” By saying this Mr. Rodgers explains how the “helpers” are out there, and even if they may not always get acknowledged they still assist those in need. Once again describing the magnanimous nature of humanity.

In the inspiring story and novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, we can see the considerate nature in humans. In this novel the protagonist, Starr unfortunately witnessed the death of her best friend Khalil. This killing was unjust and she had to speak out, knowing the possible risks. When asked about how she knew that she had to speak out about the atrocious death of her long time friend she said “Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared … it means you go on even though you’re not scared” (331). Starr’s statement sets in stone the belief that humanity is good-natured and magnanimous. Later in this Novel, Starr was trapped in a burning building. The community saved her, it seems like the good karma is coming back to her. The community not only banded together to save Starr despite the risks. But they also caught King, the man who set fire to the building and was the biggest drug lord in their neighborhood.

Now thinking about the magnanimous nature of humanity we can look to the current day. During this current pandemic, we are constantly being called to aid others through simple tasks like getting the vaccine and wearing a mask. Only small inconveniences to help those that are affected by COVID worse than us. We also have to appreciate the first responders and those helping to fight this virus. These large commitments and small acts of kindness shape humanity. Just making one new person smile a day makes humanity excel. And there will always be some bad apples, but they don’t define humanity. Those who do admirable acts of kindness far outweigh those who chose not to. This is why humanity is altruistic and looks out for one another and helps those in need.