In the modern world, the desire to help those in need often runs deeper than mere altruism.

Inner Growth and the Paradox of Compassion

In the modern world, the desire to help those in need often runs deeper than mere altruism. People who are ready to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate are frequently driven by a desire for inner growth and self-improvement. The very act of giving a part of oneself for the benefit of another enriches the soul, turning every act of assistance into a step on the path of personal development. Moreover, many of us, from an early age, grasp the importance of making maximum efforts, which turns supporting the working class into a sort of life principle. This formative experience creates the belief that true dignity is determined by our contribution—our contribution toward those who face hardships. As a result, the combination of these inner motivations leads a person not only to immediately extend a helping hand to those in need but also to feel a certain aversion toward the unconditional satisfaction and ease found in those who have already achieved stability. This dynamic interplay between personal development and life attitudes makes the phenomenon of compassion both complex and inspiring, reminding us that helping others can serve as a powerful impetus for one’s own self-improvement.

What psychological mechanisms can explain the behavior of a person who is quick to help those in worse circumstances but feels negativity towards those in better positions?

The behavior of someone who readily offers help to individuals in less advantageous situations while simultaneously harboring negative feelings toward those in more favorable conditions can be explained by a combination of several psychological mechanisms.

First, there may be a mechanism of self-awareness through inner self-improvement. For a person practicing compassion, it is important to experience a sense that their inner palette is enriched through acts of self-sacrifice and helping others. As noted in one of the sources, "if you want to acquire compassion, then stand up for it, because compassion can only be acquired in this way: by denying yourself, by detaching a part of yourself for another" (source: link txt). Thus, providing assistance to those who are less well-off becomes a form of self-affirmation through the development of virtue—something that might not be as evident when interacting with people already living in favorable conditions.

Second, another important mechanism involves the early formation of values and attitudes. It is possible that during childhood a person internalizes the idea that the most important goal is to put in maximum effort, as illustrated by the thought: "I assume the following: possibly, in a child's subconscious it became fixed that his greatest need is to exert maximum effort" (source: link txt). This belief predisposes the individual to actively support those facing hardships, because for them, effort and self-sacrifice are always needed, unlike those for whom help might seem unnecessary or even undeserved.

In combination, these two mechanisms—the pursuit of inner development through self-sacrifice and the ingrained childhood beliefs about the value of expending maximum effort—can lead a person to be inclined toward helping the less fortunate, while simultaneously feeling a negative disposition toward people for whom life is "easy" and who perhaps do not exhibit such selfless behavior.

Supporting citation(s):
"If you want to acquire compassion, then stand up for it, because compassion can only be acquired in this way: by denying yourself, by detaching a part of yourself for another." (source: link txt)

"I assume the following: possibly, in a child's subconscious it became fixed that his greatest need is to exert maximum effort." (source: link txt)