Evolutionary biology has a hypothesis to account for small conspicuous acts of kindness,” says animal behavior expert John Alcock. “My guess is that the people who assisted others in the World Trade Center knew that others were observing. They were not calculating, but their desire to commit some nice act—commiserating, directing, guiding others to safety, might have had a substantial payoff in terms of improved reputation.” There may have also been something calming about helping others that day; it lent a sense of normalcy and orderliness to the abnormal and disorderly.
