Around a fortnight ago, I was bored, standing in line at a supermarket, when I overheard an NHS worker in front of me in the till.

Her hair tightly pulled back, and her stance exhausted, she tiredly told the cashier she had just finished her 10-hour shift, but had forgotten to purchase pet food for her cat.

I must say that at that moment, I felt slightly ashamed of myself. Here I was, grumpily complaining of how tired I was after doing absolutely nothing but scrolling on my phone all day, whereas less than a metre away from me was a woman who truly deserved to whine about her day to all.

In today’s day and age, it can feel that many of our efforts seem to go unnoticed. Due to this, many have grown weary of acting “good”, and instead decide to retire the kindness in their heart. However, despite this, hundreds in our society rebuke this concept, and instead bring a little bit of light in the seemingly dark world we live in. 

It is a common belief that actions speak louder than words, and in my opinion, it is very much true.  Similarly to this, it is much easier to observe people doing good acts and respect them, than to become one of them.

Recognition is a truly powerful concept. I believe that the reason that we have so many bystanders is because they feel that there is no need to do good, as they won’t be rewarded for it. And whilst it may seem selfish, is it really? As humans, it is natural for us to crave attention and praise for our actions. Despite this, we often fail to applaud the ones who do so much for us, and our community.

So next time you see a good deed occur, why don’t you commend the person doing it? After all, you don’t know what it’ll lead to.

  • This article was written by Sara Thomas, from Wildern School, as part of Newsquest's Young Reporter scheme.