The Klamath Crusaders | Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

The "Pay it Forward" moral philosophy is best described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deeds that one receives, and that such good deeds should be things that the person cannot accomplish on their own.

The recipient of such an act of kindness is told, by the one providing the act of kindness that there is no expectation of payback and is instead instructed to " pay it forward" by way of a significant act of kindness to three others. The three additional other receiving acts of kindness in turn are to instruct the recipients of their acts of kindness in the same manner. In this way the acts of goodwill, one to another, may spread exponentially through society creating a social movement with the hopes of making the world a better place.

The idea of "paying it forward" but without the pyramid scheme - like exponential growth, appeared in a letter from Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Webb dated April 22, 1784. In 1951 science fiction author Robert Heinlein used the "pay it forward" phrase in his book " Between Planets". Heinlein both preached and practiced this philosophy.

Most recently the philosophy was re-introduced to the world through Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay it Forward, which in 2000 was adapted into a Warner Brothers film, Pay It Forward. This re-introduction has spawned what has become a worldwide " Pay it forward" movement.

Please visit www.payitforwardmovement.org for current news and information.