January 13, 2004 8:14 PM

Ervin Staub, a holocaust survivor and noted expert on altruistic behavior at UMass:

Goodness, like evil, often begins in small steps. Heroes evolve; they aren't born. Very often the rescuers make only a small commitment at the start, to hide someone for a day or two. But once they had taken that step, they began to see themselves differently, as someone who helps. What starts as mere willingness becomes intense involvement.

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