Indeed it is thought provoking. I also think that giving needs effort. Taking comes more naturally. If you believe in evolution then you know that the earliest people thrived because they took, protected their own interest. The giving probably came at a later time as a matter of need, to support their community or to survive amidst other competing or much stronger communities (tributes).  

If you have a theistic worldview however, you know that man was made after God's own image, we have His qualities although it got corrupted. So deep inside we are coded for acts of kindness. @papa-pepper's actions are not at all strange. It's just rare. He practiced what the Bible calls true religion.. being kind to another person.   

I think both economies are at work here. The commodity economy is the underlying model. You get paid for your efforts (posting, voting, curating, commenting, resteeming, steemgigs, etc.). The more influence and SP you have the bigger transactions you can make and effect on the ebb and flow of the economy. Commodity here then is *effort and influence*.  Above that underlying model is your gift-economy. It's unseen, it transcends the underlying Python code. It's the human spirit. You could never predict how a post can become viral and change lives whatever the content is. It's the x-factor that fuels this whole thing.  

Just my 2-SteemCents.