My dad forwards me a lot of chain emails, some entertaining, some thought-provoking, some just junk. I try to read as many as I can, usually because it's the only practice I get with Chinese. One of the latest emails involved the story of how Jackie Chan got into volunteering.
He had become famous, almost overnight, going from a struggling stunt actor to an action movie star. With his newfound wealth he would go out and party whenever he wasn't working, making it rain $$$ wherever he went. Somebody invited him to a charity event and all he could think about was how it took time away from partying, and the only reason he said yes was because that person convinced him that everything was already set and that he didn't need to do any work, that he could just show up and get an automatic reputational boost.
When he arrived at the event, hungover from the night before, the charity organizers told all the children (charity recipients) that Jackie Chan was so excited to see them that he hadn't slept at all. And that he'd brought gifts, which were actually all pre-arranged. He had to hand each one out, pretending he knew what was inside, and he was so ashamed, at all the children's genuine excitement, both to see him and to receive gifts from him. So when they asked if he would come back again, of course he said yes. And so began his philanthropic career.
Apparently Jackie Chan is very forthcoming about the fact that he began under false pretenses. And that "faking it until you make it" is sometimes the only way.
This is a departure from how I used to think about things. I remember working for the Red Cross and questioning other volunteers' motives. I even voiced this concern at some point, how some people's intentions were less pure than others, and how it bothered me. Ultimately I was able to conclude that at the end of the day, they're still doing good. Which is an "ends over the means" way of looking at it. Except that isn't actually the way of looking it because the means is still valid. Faking it is still valid because it can get you into the habit. Which just goes to show that there are so many ways of getting to the same place.