Is that accurate though? Standing on a street and yelling at people actually requires effort, and arguably some risk.
It seems more likely that a lot of these people actually do want to help others but simply didn’t consider the possibility that what seemed helpful to them wouldn’t be. You can want to help someone without being good at it.
> You can want to help someone without being good at it.
Some kind of help is the kind of help we all can do without. I wouldn't encourage a well-meaning student to do my surgery if a gruff-looking surgeon who has taken their Hippo is around. Same goes with getting my car repaired, or discussing touchy topics like depression. It's fine if you want to help, but I'd rather you didn't if you have no idea what you're doing.
Another brief anecdote: my high school growing up had been hit by a wave of bullying that left the staff extremely insecure about the way they handle mental health. So one year I showed up to school and they had a photo of every student in the halls on the wall, with enormous posters declaring "You are Loved" and other pithy quotes. Needless to say, 4 weeks later those same halls were utterly vandalized, with the posters tattered, threats scrawled under people's faces in Sharpie and some taken down entirely (often by bullying victims themselves). The administration didn't look before they leaped, and ended up using their authority to shoot themselves in the foot.
Shouting nice things at random groups of people is idiotic, and borderline insulting. A bit like throwing money in the general direction of Africa to help the starving. Whatever someone is going through, relating to them as individuals is a good first step.
The intention matters little in these cases, and the consequences much. It is exactly the empty and superficial act of describing how much you care while remaining oblivious to their human needs and wants that makes the act so harmful. The obvious lack of care that is demonstrated while someone pats themselves on the back in that way deepens the feelings of social isolation and helplessness that caused the issue in the first place.
It doesn't matter that it requires effort. You don't get a gold star in these scenarios simply for putting in effort. If you didn't spend any time thinking about what someone in these scenarios might truly NEED, you're at best wasting everyone's time, and at worst doing harm to those you're intending to help.
If you saw someone broken down on the side of the highway, and decided you would "help" by pulling over and rummaging around in their engine bay with a cheery attitude, then by your metric this is fine because it requires effort and arguably some risk. Who wouldn't want this kind of help, right?
It requires effort but less than trying to understand how you could help them, so the point still stands. And even though they might genuinely help others, it’s important to educate people to stop doing it this way, as it can be more harmful than doing nothing.
It seems more likely that a lot of these people actually do want to help others but simply didn’t consider the possibility that what seemed helpful to them wouldn’t be. You can want to help someone without being good at it.