interests.
Selfless giving, in the absence of self-preservation instincts, easily becomes overwhelming.
Being otherish means being willing to give more than you receive, but still keeping your own interests
in sight, using them as a guide for choosing when, where, how, and to whom you give. Instead of
seeing self-interest and other-interest as competing, the Caring Canadians found ways to integrate
them, so that they could do well by doing good. As you’ll see, when concern for others is coupled
with a healthy dose of concern for the self, givers are less prone to burning out and getting burned—
and they’re better positioned to flourish.
***
“In West Philadelphia, born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days... I
got in one little fight and my mom got scared.. .”
When Will Smith wrote these famous lyrics for the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,
the hit sitcom that launched his career, he had just graduated from Overbrook High School in
Philadelphia. Overbrook has a majestic façade, its five-story building resembling a castle perched
atop a hill. During his time in the castle, Smith was treated like royalty, earning the nickname
“Prince” from teachers for his ability to charm his way out of trouble. Years later, when he started a
production company, he named it Overbrook Entertainment. Smith is not the only accomplished
person to attend Overbrook, whose alumni include astronaut Guion Bluford Jr., the first African
American in space, and Jon Drummond, an Olympic gold medalist in track. Overbrook is one of just
six high schools in the entire United States that has seen more than ten students go on to play in the
National Basketball Association, one of whom was the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
But for most students, Overbrook is no fairy tale.
Located at the corner of Fifty-ninth and Lancaster in the heart of West Philadelphia, Overbrook is
just a few blocks from one of the top ten drug corners in the country. Take a stroll past the school, and
it’s not uncommon to see the drivers of passing cars rolling up their windows and locking their doors.
In 2006, Overbrook was one of twenty-eight schools in the United States that was identified as
“persistently dangerous” based on crime statistics. As of 2011, there were roughly 1,200 students