Competitive altruism

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses"? It means that people often try to match or exceed the status or possessions of their neighbors or friends.

Competitive altruism works in a similar way. It's when people try to outdo each other in doing good deeds or being helpful to others.

Let's say you and your friend both volunteer at a soup kitchen. You both enjoy doing it, but you also want to show that you are more helpful and caring than your friend. So you start volunteering more often, donating more money, and trying to be more involved in the organization.

Your friend sees how much you are doing and wants to keep up with you, so they start doing the same things too. Then you see how much your friend is doing and want to do more to stay ahead. It becomes a cycle of one-upping each other in doing good deeds.

Competitive altruism can be a positive thing because it encourages people to help others more, but it can also become negative if it becomes too focused on personal status or recognition. It's important to remember that helping others should be about making a difference, not about winning a competition.