why dont we all give more?

[Nimbostratus100]

We are all aware that there is so much need in the world, and here in the UK we all have so much, yes, really, all of us, unless you are on the street or literally unable to eat today ( unlikely in UK) then we all do. I am in massive debt, very unwell and possibly losing my job. Yet I know I am so well off compared to many

There are children dying for lack of clean water this morning, while I enjoy unnecessary peanut butter and nice coffee.

I donate to charity - when I feel I can, not so much right now, and volunteer a lot, many thousands of hours over the years, again, not so much right now as I am stuck in bed, but I feel like a good person. I pray for those less fortunate, and raise awareness, etc

But I am aware I am living a privileged life while others die for lack of basic needs, water, antibiotics, food, shelter, and yet I am not particularly disturbed - why am I not disturbed? Is it out of sight out of mind, or some sort of genetic self favouring instinct - "I'm all right jack!" Or is it social acceptance, I need three coats, the cagule doesnt go with my work clothes, etc?

I could have put the money for this peanut butter and coffee into the DEC collection, but I didn't

Its not just me, its all of us, any one of you reading this has at very minimum access to a phone you are putting ahead of the needs of a child that will go blind today due to lack of antibiotics

Whats wrong with us? I know one person could make very little difference, but surely the only reason the world is so unfair is because we all, as individuals are behaving so selfishly.

Anyone else confused by this? Feeling like a good person, but knowing objectively I am living selfishly?

I think there is something in this, maybe the ultimate hope is for people to enjoy quality of life, not simply be alive and standing, so that in fact in giving myself better quality of life I am only giving myself what I hope others to enjoy, and that once I HAVE a few things to enjoy, I am more able to give a bit more to others, towards them not just surviving, but enjoying as well. Maybe youve explained it to me

Nobody needs to be a billionaire, IMO. It boils my piss that the likes of Musk and Jeff Bezos fanny about building space rockets and buying Twitter while their workers live in their cars and piss in bottles.
The likes of Musk and Bezos are only billionaires because we give them our money. Be the change you want to see and stop buying things from their companies!

thank you - I am enjoying the peanut butter 💐

I agree op.

We spend actual billions on nonsense like movies and TV shows while people are starving yet I still have sky tv

🤷

I don't know what the answer is but it needs to come from the top, not the bottom

Its like they say on the aeroplane. Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. You are not ment to make yourself feel miserable by helping others. You would have nothing left.

I don't know what the answer is but it needs to come from the top, not the bottom
No, it comes from the bottom. The bottoms are more powerful than the top purely because of numbers. The top is only there because the bottoms allow it.

This is exactly what the evil bastards running the world want you to think and feel.

Its not our fault, nor should we feel guilty. Feel gratitude for how lucky you are.

The only way to stop this u fairness is a complete overhaul of how we run and work as a communities and that’s already starting from the ground up. There’s more and more things forming outside of the ‘matrix’ - for instance the Peoples health alliance.

@senua

And always will.

It has never changed throughout all of history

You're right OP.

I thought exactly the same thing this morning as I stood, naked, wringing the rain water out of the only set on clothes I hadn't donated to 'the poor'.

Then I prayed for them. That'll fix it.

I’m clearly very selfish! I work 50 hours most weeks to provide the life I want to live. No guilt here.

If you're in debt you can't afford to give to charity.

You can't fix the world.

How do you know these people haven't donated?
Many extremely wealthy people DO donate money to those in need.
They just don't shout about it

Well crack on then OP, sell all your shit, eat nothing but twigs and go and help that little blind girl. As you're so morally superior to all of us and so much more morally aware, I'm surprised you haven't done it yet. How selfish of you.

It’s a good question OP, and one I’ve wondered about. As a proportion of my income I give less now than I used to decades ago. I give regularly to one charity and then sporadically to campaigns, or make small donations when shopping when companies offer to match donations. But I could afford to give more.

I feel detached from it to be honest and it’s more important to me to lay a foundation so that my children shouldn’t be on the breadline when they are adults - do selfishness on my part. I enjoy taking my children on days out, which of course cost money. Logically a child’s sight is more important than a day out for my children but I feel detached from any children who need sight saving operations. But also I could give everything I have and it wouldn’t really make a difference. So helplessness plays a big part in it.

I think one of the biggest things we need to do to improve world outcomes is curb population growth. And that (without any draconian measures like Chinas previous 1 child policy) means educating women, empowering women. So many charities seem to focus on fixing a symptom rather than a cause. But it’s complex.

I think you make some very good points

BirdyBoop · Today 12:20
I do not have the mental capacity to carry the woes of the world on my shoulders.

I'm mostly trying to drag myself and my family through life, working, housework, responsibilities, checking in on friends and family with problems, getting food on the table and a roof over our heads, trying to protect my own physical and mental health also.

I'm exhausted by life as it is. I have no more capacity for other issues. I don't have the headspace.

I donate monthly by DD to several charities, but that's all I'm capable of doing right now. I do not feel guilty about it.

This!!! In spades!!! I've gone through my life not bothering anyone, doing my bit, helping others where I can, volunteering. And the world is still shit. I now have pressing issues I have to deal with in looking after my elderly mother as well as my kids and ill friends. I'm knackered and unfortunately cynical. Greater people than me are trying to do their bit but human nature is such that it is brutal, and always has been. Look back through millennia humans have endured hellish things whilst others have lived in luxury. It won't ever change.

I've made my peace with it. I pick up other folk's litter, I pay to some charities monthly, I pay to others on ad-hoc basis (Boxing Day Tsunami, Turkey/Syria earthquake). I do not have the capacity for anything else and I am done feeling guilty about it.

It's the same with climate change really.

Objectively I know what needs to be done.

Im not doing any of it though

You seem to be doing two things: separating people out into selfish and non-selfish and labelling all behaviour where someone puts themselves first negatively.

I don’t see it as unethical to strike a balance between enjoying my own life (which, yes, includes the good fortune to be able to buy non-essentials I fancy) and making donations, etc. I think about what I’m comfortable with and do that.

There was a Guardian long read article a few years ago about people who take selflessness to extremes and go without whenever it means someone else will benefit. Very interesting, but they’re extremely unusual.

yes, I suppose fear of the instability of your own life comes into play. But like I said, I am unwell and in debt, yet still feel justified paying for my luxury peanut butter and coffee this morning, rather than donate that money to DEC, do you see what I mean? That amount of money makes my day brighter, but doesnt contribute to the stability of my home or anything, yet I still dont donate it. I guess it is innate selfishness, and maybe that is genetic in all of us

I really dislike the suggestion that this is something we should feel bad about. Life is pretty shit for the average person. We have no choice but to spend 90% of our time working, usually counting down the minutes until the working day ends, just to be able to stay sheltered and fed, and some of us will still struggle. If we happen to have a tiny bit of spare money to buy something that brings us a little bit of joy we should be able to without judgment and guilt.

Judgment should be reserved for the very wealthy and those in charge, who could actually make a substantial difference. I'm sure if there was some genuine initiative where everybody in the world who could afford it gave up their nice peanut butter/coffee and the money was given to those in need, most would do it, but that isn't the case, so the reality is that the contribution would be negligible.

You do realise a world in which poverty/homelessness is rife is more dangerous for your precious kids?

I think op has gone to get a refund on her peanut butter....