The Elevator Principle: Lifting Others to Goodwill

When it comes to making people feel good, we can easily draw up a list of people who we know behave this way. It's undeniable that these people know what they're doing - all they believe in is simply spreading goodwill to anyone who comes into their lives. And that is a hard thing to do in today's modern materialistic world. The Elevator Principle is aptly named because people who make others feel good about themselves, other people and Life in general practise this - it essentially like an elevator that goes up and down; when it goes up, it means that goodwill is being spread, and if it goes down it's otherwise.

Back in the 1920s physician, consultant and psychologist George W. Crane began teaching social psychology at the Northwestern University in Chicago. The early classes he used to teach comprised evening students who were from the working class - men and women who worked at day and wanted to improve themselves at night. After a student told him of her problems with isolation and loneliness after she moved here from Wisconsin, Crane devised a simple plan to boost his student's social skills.

He came up with the Compliment Club the following week, and was the first of many practical assignments he would give his students. He told them:

"You are to use your psychology every day either at home or at work or on the streetcars and buses. For the first month, your written assignment will be on the Compliment Club. Every day you are to pay an honest compliment to each of three different persons. You can increase that number if you wish, but to qualify for a class grade, you must have complimented at least three people every day for thirty days...

"Then, at the end of the thirty-day experiment, I want you to write a theme or paper on your experiences. Include the changes you have noted in the people around you, as well as your own altered outlook on life."

Needless to say, many students objected to his assignment. One person asked Dr. Crane, "Suppose you meet somebody you dislike? Wouldn't it be insincere to praise your enemy?"

"No, it is not insincerity when you compliment your enemy," Crane replied, "for the compliment is an honest statement of praise for some objective trait or merit that deserves commendation. You will find that nobody is devoid of merit or virtue... Your praise may buoy up the morale of lonely souls who are almost ready to give up the struggle to do good deeds. You never know when your casual compliment may catch a boy or girl, or man or woman, at the critical point when he would otherwise toss in the sponge."

Crane's experiment worked wonders on his students. Not only did they blossom into more positive people, but even their interactions with others had great positive impacts on them. They noticed the change, and they were very much astonished to see the results. Dr. Crane himself was practising the Elevator Principle - and see what it did for him!

Crane said, "The world is starving for appreciation. It is hungry for compliments. But somebody must start the ball rolling by speaking first and saying a nice thing to his companion." It is true. And it should start from yourself! You don't exactly have to do like what Dr. Crane's students did for the Compliment Club, but there are other ways to add value to other people. Indeed, if you think about it, people who add value to others tend to be more outgoing and extroverted - as though they were advertising themselves to the world. But just like action and reaction, there are people who take away value from others by being selfish, arrogant and unwilling to listen. These are the kind of people who suffer the most in Life.

There are four kinds of people in the world. Those who ADD something to life are called 'adders'. (No, not the snake! XD) These people are those we should enjoy and cherish because they intentionally come to the aid of others who need help. Evangelist D.L. Moody, an adder himself, advised people to "do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all ways you can, as long as ever you can." Also, as author Frank Tyger said, "Friendship consists of a willing ear, an understanding heart and a helping hand." And even I try to be someone who does this everyday with purpose. Even at work an adder will be seen as an organization's asset - these employees go early and stay late; do something to help co-workers, and even go the extra mile for their bosses. Such people will find themselves nominated for a promotion even if he's been in for only a month.

There are other people who SUBTRACT something in life. Normally these subtracters accidentally minus out value from our lives - and they won't realize it! They give us heavier burdens to carry around, and believe me it's not easy to make them carry part of it for you - they might end up adding even more than what you had in the first place! Sure, receiving is what we do best but when it comes to these people, they are giving us more pain than joy. And who wants that? Thus, if you have friends like this, tolerate them. If you can try and change them. I know a few friends who are subtracters by default. And even though I say changing them is hard, I myself welcome the challenge.

Also, there are a select few who MULTIPLY something in life. These multipliers are people you want to have close to you every day. Everyone wants to be an adder, but to be a multiplier needs dedication, perseverance, faith, skills and intention to give to others than to yourself. I can proudly say RJ Kevin is a multiplier in my life - he's always been there whenever I was down and out. He values friendship. He's always supportive, and always comes up with neat ideas and all. He sharpens my vision and maximizes my strength. And he's passionate about doing something great for his friends and family. There are probably a number of multipliers in your life too - like your parents!

Finally, there are people who DIVIDE something in life - and these people are normally avoided at all costs. These dividers (no, not the road obstacle!) are the ones who really 'take you to the basement,' as in they'll bring you really down very often and with increasing annoyance. Unlike subtracters, dividers intentionally hurt others and hurt themselves in the process. But because they're already so bitter they usually don't see the aftermath they've caused. The only way they can feel better is by making others do worse than they do. And where does that lead to? More fighting, disagreements, arguments and the like. In short, they spell trouble.

So let's do something about it. Let's all be multipliers - or in this case, lifters - as we lift people up to their fullest potential and add value to them continually. Lifters will give daily encouragement to anyone they know, or to people who need special attention. Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca said, "Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness." Lifters know what to do to help others, and they make sure that with the power they bear the impact they leave behind will allow others to overcome their worries and their problems. It is up to them to make one's life better or worse - and they always choose what's best for their friends and family.

Lifters are also people who initiate the positive in the negative. To become an instrument of change in a negative environment they do everything they can to help people climb out of their misery and despair. Finally, lifters also understand that Life doesn't give second chances. Whatever good they want to do, they must do it now! They act quickly, for they know that Time and tide wait for no man. Like the quote goes, "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

It doesn't matter what your social background is, nor does it matter if you're the most popular kid in school, or the most productive employee in a company. What matters is you make the effort to lift others when they're down. Don't let the chance slip away from your hands; when you start lifting others, you'll notice that the changes that follow not only benefit them, but also benefits you in ways you'd never imagine!

You raise me up,

So I can stand on mountains,

You raise me up,

To walk on stormy seas,

I am strong when I am on your shoulders,

You raise me up,

To more than I can be.

Cheers!