The Last Shall Be...Misunderstood?

Today at PFO (Pre-field Orientation), we did an exercise called "The Broken Box." In groups of five, we were to assemble five squares with cut-out shapes. Each of us was given a few shapes (that didn't fit together), and we had to put together a square by giving and receiving others' shapes. We were not allowed to talk or to take others' shapes unless offered.

I was last. Why? For this simple reason, I was the last person to complete my box: I helped everyone else. Now, I didn't realize this until the end. When the instructor said "go!" and we all emptied our envelopes with flat, unmatched shapes, I immediately started to look for who could use the shapes that I had. I was so busy with this that I forgot to look for shapes that would fit mine. Eventually, everyone was finished except me, and people gave me their "leftovers" to create the last square.

We were the first group to finish (out of ten).

I've been thinking about this for the rest of my day. Is this how I live my life? Am I so busy trying to help others that I neglect myself? Still, this is not without a great result--everyone gets ahead faster.

Other groups were so stuck, and I could see people frustrated as they traded random pieces to work on their own square in front of them. I realized that not too many people were intentionally helping others finish before themselves.

So if this is how I live my life...is it okay? Or is it self-defacing?

I'm also curious if I would've found more people like me if this exercise was done in an Asian country? Should Americans (pardon the generalization) be more selfless? Is the community mindset better than the individualistic one? Or are they just different?

:) It was just an exercise...and people have probably forgotten that I was the last to finish in my group. But I still remember all their eyes on me as I tried to put together the last square. I wonder if they thought of me as the slowest. I wonder if they realize I was helping them at all.