Why do people always assume others have bad motives?

I have not known anyone who donated because of a bad motive. I remember when I was young my employer donated turkeys at Thanksgiving to shelters and told me when I delivered them to be sure to get a receipt. I thought that was just awful, that they were donating just for a tax write-off! As I grew older, though, I thought back on that and was sorry for thinking that way. Sure, I take the write-off, too, but on my income it doesn't make much difference in how much I pay. Those people didn't have all the money I thought they did and they truly had good hearts. I donate to celebrate the blessings God has given me and to obey His command to help the poor. I am not rich but for the first time in my life I have some extra money and every time I send out a check to a charity I thank God for giving me the means to do some small thing to help others. Sure, it makes me feel good. But if I was not able to give money I would give time or donate my skills to help as I have before. I don't give to show off my "riches" although I know that some probably do. I give in order to give praise to God for all He has given me and to help my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all one family in God's eyes. And I think that most people who give to charities do so out of the goodness of their hearts. Most of them don't make a big deal of it and don't seek publicity. I'm grateful for those people.

No I don't know or ever met anyone who wants to do good. But what I know for sure that is if you are donating you can get that money back from the tax you have to pay over your income. This is the case in my country but also in many other countries. Which means you are not donating really or donating way less as the amount you gave, since you get it all or the biggest part back from the tax. Which is a positive thing for your income. If it comes to bad motives: I think many people do give for some reason and mostly because it makes them feel/better. Personally I don't care about the reason as long as it will be used for those who need it. Which is seldom the fact either. The biggest part of donations stays in own country in the hand of the director etc (those who don't need it and have a large income). What I don't understand is why giving a large amount to always the same organisations? Why not giving to the small once or if you really want to help out go visit those who need it and give each of them an certain amount.

I think this is human nature. We assume people have bad motives to protect ourselves by being ready in case what we're expecting is true. If you're suffering from being assumed at as someone who has bad motives, you'll have no problem proving them wrong everytime by just being yourself.

Well to be fair, I think that many people think that others have bad motives, is because many people out there do have those bad motives. Of course, there are some people out there who do good, for good, but we live in a society, where that is kind of swept right to the side for the most part. And many people do in fact have an agenda. It is rather frustrating as you never know what a person is thinking. And when that happens, you start to wonder. Of course, the point is moot as these people do not really have to explain themselves. Just like we don't really have to trust them. Everyone does things for many reasons, to atone for the bad, just to do good, and just because they felt like it on that day.

Some people are really bad that they assume that other people are doign bad things even they are not.That's really because it is an illusion for the bad guy to think so.Anyway,just do more good thigns and get good reward and gratitude.Think more of other people's positive actions.

those are negative people, there are some like that, maybe they inherit to their surrounding, experience in life or had a problem thats why they became like, they feel insecure with other people. Maybe they need counselling.

Never trust anybody friend, not even your shadow because humans are by nature out to no good!

Yeah I know some. They often think people around them are no better than them. So if someone does something great or if someone succeeded in doing something they always think there is always something behind it. Maybe these people had been cheated on before or fooled before that is why it is pretty hard for them to trust people around them.

If it just so happened that person has done good things before then it turns out that it has change then probably the observant would think that way forever even if that person is already sincere enough of helping other people without bad motives. I mean like example in my case, my classmate keep on insisting and project that he helped me so much especially for giving me an opportunities. Wherein fact he said that by the time that he can't be able to pay for our salary that I have done for him. It is like he is saying excuses in order for him to escape from the responsibility. I've already caught him in the act that every time he helps then it has a catch. So now I don't trust him anymore about his motives if he is really helping other people because in the end all he wants is the recognition and the change. But there are people who are really malicious on their way of thinking. Some of them are pathetic enough not to feel and think that there are people who are totally sincere in helping other people. Or maybe they are not like that because they are totally selfish.

hi, That is because of the sick minded people who can’t see anyone doing good to the society/ for the needy. It is hard for certain people to accept that others are kind hearted. Also when you try to do something good for the society, you are surrounded by obstacles and it is tough to achieve self satisfaction… which in other words road to good is a long path and bad is a short cut. have a nice time

Maybe people tend to judge others based on themselves. We are living in materialistic, consumer world, where any act of generosity is accepted as strange, because most of the people don't care about no one, but themselves.

People do not do things without a reason because we are rational being. It maybe out of good or bad intention. As for your reasoning, I do not think that way so maybe he/she simply is pessimistic. He/she believes nothing good about the world. We cant dismiss the fact that their are bad people with an evil motive behind a good deed they are making . Pretentious that what they are. We just have to be alert and be careful in to whom we give our trust.

@scheng1 yes that's how god created man in there is good and there are no good. it's all for the balance of life in the world

i think these people belong to this class of people who envy and jealousy,people are sad to see people happy and happy to see people sad.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of pessimistic people out there that feel like no one in the world has good intentions, that everyone has an alterior motive despite the outward appearance of good. While I believe that there are very few Purely Good people in the world, I do tend to have faith in the goodness of humanity. Being human means we make mistakes yes, but it also means we have the potential for compassion, kindness, and love. These parts of humanity make us more apt to do good, for the sake of doing good.

Sometimes you can't win. If you don't do something they will assume you don't care and that you are selfish and if you do something, you are showing off. This is the fickle world we live in. We just can't please it. Even Jesus had that problem. Notice: Matthew 11:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT) 18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man,[a] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.” So, it best to do the right thing and forget about the opinions of people that only want to criticize for they will criticize no matter what!

Such phenomenon is so common in my country. I guess the essential reason is the shortage of faith. Many people have no faith and believe that people live for themselves only. Following this "belief", when they see someone did something good, they take it for granted that that person did that in order to acquire something, such as reputation. Through putting others down, they make themselves not shame for their dark mentalities. And it's not easy to change such social atmosphere in a short time.

People who think about that are those who have already experienced being helped by people who have bad motives. If they haven't experienced yet, they have watched stories like this in movies where politicians or actors are helping the needy because they have hidden motives.

Trust is something that cannot be given away easily as it can destroy innocence.