I did a small social experiment with some close family and friends a few days ago. The results were interesting. Some of them got angry with me after I explained it was just an experiment, but it was worth it. It really gave me a different way of looking at life. I already have a fair idea about everyone’s financial strength. So I called them one by one and told them I needed money urgently to solve a problem. I asked based on what I thought each person could afford. The request was simple: “I need some money urgently to solve a problem.” First person (male): "Eeeerrr, oh... I don’t have money oo... but how much do you need?" I mentioned the amount. "Which account should I send it to?" Second person (male): "How much do you need? Which account?" Third person (male): "Oh Charley, times are hard oo. But how much do you need? Should I send to this number?" Fourth person (female): "How much? When are you paying back? The money I have is for someone." Fifth person (female): "What do you need the money for? When are you returning it? I can give you only X amount, but that’s our feeding money." Sixth person (female): "Jerry, are you okay? Where are you? What do you want to use the money for? How much? Which account?" After each call, I just told them, “It’s okay. I’ve figured something out.” But the part that touched me the most? Every single one of them called back to check on me again, just to make sure I was okay. That’s when I told them it was an experiment. The truth is, all of them were ready to sacrifice something for me even though they are also struggling financially. That really meant a lot to me. What surprised me was that the men didn’t even ask what I needed the money for. They were just ready to help. So now I’m asking myself: Why? Would they have done the same thing for someone else? Or is it because it was me? This whole thing also reminded me of some years back when life hit me hard. Like serious struggle. My life became a community project. I sat and watched people gather to support me every single step of the way. One friend even gave me his ATM card and said, “Use it. Withdraw what you want and pay back when you can.” If you ask me how I survived that season, I don’t even know. I just saw love and support from everywhere. After I shared these results with them, one friend, a very useless one—said he would also try it. He didn’t even finish asking the person for money before alert hit his phone. Now he’s in trouble. He has to go and apologize 😀. What's the conclusion? Humanity is beautiful. Be internal about the circle you choose. Its difficult to get help in times of need but if you build good connections, people are willing to sacrifice an arm and leg for you to be alive just one more day. More here https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vatz8i46LwHeeip7a61x