Early in The Institute, Tim notes that it is often ordinary people who have the least who are the most willing to share—specifically recalling a librarian who offered him a ride and $10. Tim himself is an ordinary man: He walks into DuPray on a whim, with few possessions and little money. He becomes a humble guardian for the small town, dedicating himself to caring for people like Annie Ledoux (who has less than him) and Drummer Denton (who struggles with depression). Annie, Drummer, and other residents stand with Tim and Luke against the Institute retrieval team not out of obligation, but because it is in their nature as people, as fellow human beings, to care for each other.

This same ordinary kindness is what allows Luke and his friends to defeat the Institute. The first person Luke meets at the Institute is Kalisha, who has nothing but a carton of candy cigarettes, but she still offers one to him. She is just as frightened and trapped as he is, but she takes him under her wing and makes him a part of her family. The children take care of each other, and in the process, learn that their combined strength is greater than anything the Institute has to offer.