Selfless Acts
Out There
Willow Belden
4.6 • 608 Ratings
🗓️ 18 August 2022
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why are some people overly generous? On this episode, we visit with a "trail angel" (someone who offers free food, drinks, and encouragement to thru-hikers on long trails), and we explore what makes a person commit acts of altruism for total strangers. (Hint: it's probably not what you'd expect).
This story first aired in 2018, and it won a gold medal for best independent podcast from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, or PRNDI.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | All right, so I'm out for a hike and it's a beautiful sunny day, gentle breeze. It's been a really |
| 0:15.0 | tough week slash month slash year for me. So it's a gift to have days like this where I make time to |
| 0:25.6 | go out and spend some quiet time in nature. One of the things I like to do when I'm out in nature is look at |
| 0:34.6 | maps. I love to see where I am, what I'm looking at, what's nearby. |
| 0:40.3 | But often, like on this day, my map only shows the immediate vicinity. |
| 0:46.3 | I can see all these mountains off in the distance, but I don't know what they are. |
| 0:51.3 | This is where an app called PeakVisor comes in handy. PeakVisor is one of our sponsors. Their app figures out where you are, and then it tells you all the mountains you're looking at. If you're a map geek like me, check out PeakVisor in the app store. You just might love it. |
| 1:21.9 | Hi, I'm Willow Belden and you're listening to Out There, the podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors. This season is called Nature's Nostalgia. Each episode, we're sharing award-winning |
| 1:32.6 | narratives and beloved fan favorites from the early days of Out There. These stories are the perfect |
| 1:39.0 | thing to fuel your summer adventures, and they just might give you the inspiration you need to lead a more |
| 1:45.2 | fulfilling life. |
| 1:49.9 | Before we get to our story today, I have a favor to ask. If you enjoy listening to Out There, |
| 1:56.7 | please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening right now. |
| 2:02.1 | Five-star reviews make such a difference in helping new listeners find the show. |
| 2:07.1 | And reaching new listeners is crucial for our success as a podcast. |
| 2:12.0 | If you've already left a review, thank you so much. |
| 2:16.6 | And now, on to our story for today. |
| 2:25.1 | I'm willing to bet that at some point in your life, you've experienced an act of altruism. |
| 2:33.0 | Maybe it was the sweet older couple who picked up your entire bill at a fancy restaurant. |
| 2:39.0 | Or the stranger who fixed your car when you broke down in the middle of nowhere. |
| 2:43.7 | Or the person who invited you to stay at their home when you were on the road and had no place to go. |
| 2:50.6 | You know what I'm talking about, those acts of kindness that seem over the top. |
... |
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