“Unexpected Turn: How a Simple Act of Kindness Turned Into a Battle of Audacity Between Friends”
Image credits: Daniel Martinez (not the actual photo)
Image source: sausagedogmumm
Taking care of your guests is a longstanding human tradition
Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova (not the actual photo)
Humans have long had a pretty long history of understanding that sometimes you need to spend the night under someone else’s roof. Sometimes you are just far away from your place, maybe you are a refugee or, as in this story, you might just be homeless for one reason or another.
This is likely the reason humans have widespread and often pretty intense “guest rules”. This isn’t just a conceit from Game of Thrones (or, “A Song of Ice and Fire”, if we are being pedantic) it’s a real part of many hospitality cultures. The logic is pretty simple, helping others means that you can expect help in the future when you need it.
Everyone from Immanuel Kant to Abrahamic religious scholars have pointed out that “guest rights” are a pretty important building block of civilization. After all, what is a society or nation if not people who aren’t your family members? If you don’t have a structure to care for them, the family remains the largest possible “unit”.
This is all to say that the couple taking in their friend are participating in millennia old traditions and should not be faulted for their generosity. Setting aside all the high-minded philosophy, what is the point of having friends who refuse to help out when you are in trouble? Naturally, if you believe that, then you would also help your own community when needed, otherwise you would simply be a hypocrite.
