An everyday gesture such as helping at the table can reveal deep values such as empathy, respect and social awareness. What seems like a simple courtesy in helping the waiter clear the dishes is, in psychological terms, pro-social behaviour: a voluntary action to benefit others without expecting anything in return. This act reveals that the person has developed empathy, that is, the ability to understand what the other person’s work entails, to value their effort and to share their emotions.
Traits that emerge from this behaviour
According to various experts, those who help others display some of the following characteristics:
- Humility: they do not see the waiter as inferior nor do they believe that their “role” is always to be served.
- Proactivity: they act without being asked, detect what could be done and do it.
- Responsibility: they feel that small actions are important and have a positive impact.
- Social awareness and respect: they recognise the value of others’ work and seek to collaborate with a service that is often demanding.
Factors that shape this type of behaviour:
- Family and environment: seeing examples of empathy or cooperation from an early age at home and in the neighbourhood.
- Formal education: school, friendships, group rules that promote collaboration.
- Local culture: in societies with more community-oriented values, these gestures are more frequent; in others where individualism predominates, less so.
These gestures have a real effect: they generate a sense of mutual respect, lighten the load for others, improve social coexistence, and strengthen human relationships. They are not just ‘good manners’; they are signs of who we are and how we want the world to be for everyone.
