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?

well, we could, we just dont, and if we did we would need to accept far less choice, and far less waste, but we certainly could

I’m selfish, I admit I’m selfish. Currently I don’t give money to charity as I’m fighting tooth and nail to keep a roof over our heads, feed my children and keep them warm. We don’t have luxuries, and even if we did there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t begrudge cooking a meal for my children due to the fact there are starving people in the world. Don’t begrudge keeping my children in a home when there are so many struggling with homelessness. Whilst I feel empathy for those who don’t have warmth I don’t feel bad for keeping my children warm.

Yes, I’m selfish but I shouldn’t be shamed for that

I’m not prepared to be guilt-shamed into contributing and donating more than I currently do.
I spent my working life in the NHS and/or the Third Sector, I have done volunteering one way or another for probably 45 years of my life and I’m done.
I have,and will, donate to DEC for humanitarian disasters and continue my dd to MSF but more? No.
i think I have done enough.
Should I have spare money sometime in the future I will rethink; at the moment, I don’t.

I thought food banks only deal with long life food? And I thought people get a bag of food not select ? Although sandwiches may be unwanted if meat / fish / really odd filling

Probably a non referral food kitchen place. They get waste food donated by shops so a lot of it if very very close to bin. Only so many bananas and carrots even the poor can or want to eat. The donated sandwich’s tend to be the least popular thus they are there for waste too.

I’ve volunteered in one and honestly some of the bags are very bizarre. A unripe coconut, bananas, three carrots, a box of cereal, a pomme, limes, shit loads of onions, kale barely good. Vegan sausage rolls, honey brown bread, always a lettuce, oh and a tin of chick peas. Was a bag once.

others much better

butchers burgers, bag of potatoes, spinach, bag or parsnips, bag of carrots, peppercorn sauce, muffins, crips, cereal, biscuits, loaf of bread, butter and milk. As well as general salad.

erm, no, we couldn’t.

we could, just not with our current standard of living

I don't because until there is a system where wealthy people pay proportionate amounts to the funds they have I don't see why I should.
Is that selfish, absolutely! But me setting up a DD for a fiver a month is a drop in the ocean when Musk and his buddies could be donating millions without even noticing a change in their lifestyle.

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

So you are making an excuse why you can't, but you expect others to do better? Maybe other people are also doing their best they can.

Sorry but I do feel like you are just thinking in your head what is the best the people can do, rather than thinking about reality for people in different situations.

When you are better, and you can do better than others, maybe you have right to tell others that they should do more. But not now, since you admit yourself, that you can't.

Why do you think you are ok to say you could do better but you can't, due to circumstances, while telling others that they should do better?

Tbh, it's all up to individual person. If you think you need to work hard to make a world a better place, do it. But just because someone doesn't think like you do, they are not bad either, they just feel different.

Watching the very good bbc documentary about the US and the holocaust. It was widely reported what was happening in Germany but still two thirds of the US voting population and one third of Jewish Americans voted NOT to let the refugees in. That blew my mind.

I asked for my birthday 60th for folk to give to a local hospice, some did, ( I paid for a meal out for 16), as I needed or wanted nothing.
Folk can only deal with what they can, I can and give to 2 charities and give clothes a charity shop.
i have Parkinson’s and take care of myself first, no other half here.
The fact is it’s wrong food banks exist and need to, ideally we should be able to help each other, lots can’t

Sorry one quarter of Jewish Americans. But still.

It really blew my mind when I learned there were Jews who supported Nazi.

I am not responsible for global inequality, neither do I feel I am its chief beneficiary. So I sleep just fine.

I am v aware of my privilege. I grew up in a poor family, as did DP, but we live a v mc life. My child is at an independent school and my baby will go too. We work hard for our lifestyle, save hard, do not have a lot of luxury stuff, but we are prioritising education and we are happy to do that.

We are tremendously privileged in comparison to so many in the world. We do not ignore that. I am happy with what we do,but I suppose others might not think we do enough.

I volunteer 4 hours week for a charity providing the specialist service I charge £70-100 an hour for. In addition to that I take several reduced fee clients at any one time as lots of people need my service but cannot pay. We give a cash donation to the local food bank, plus physical food so the kids can see and learn it is important. We give monthly to Cancer research and the British heart foundation. So that is our contribution at home.

We support two international charities on monthly basis and emergency appeals as and when necessary.

So we are not useless by any means. Do we do enough? I don't know, I suppose most could do more, but I do not feel we can without really eating into our lives. Maybe it should eat in and we are selfish to enjoy the stuff we do. But then seriously, you need something to make you bother with the work bits surely?

food banks are shut on sundays here....and theres no buses anyway....so its likely a few families WILL go hungry today

I have sent a cheque to the DEC for Turkey/Syria. Should I have given more? Should I sell everything I have and give the money to the poor? Should I live under a hedge when I have done this? These are the eternal questions. Is my conscience prodding me in a healthy way? Is that what God is? Is your conscience nagging at you, OP? It sounds as if it is. Keep wondering, all your life long.

@upinaballoon I guess you are right, the answer is there is no answer! You just have to keep thinking

Do people really think charities exist to redistribute cash? Overhead and salaries are how they deliver a lot of their services. And the reason charity CEOs are decently paid is because that is the going rate for a CEO.