Comments on: Decency, Pure and Simple http://electra.blogsome.com/2009/06/23/decency-pure-and-simple/ i am a mess in my open-eyed youth. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:25:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Coconut http://electra.blogsome.com/2009/06/23/decency-pure-and-simple/#comment-4932 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:26:46 +0100 http://electra.blogsome.com/2009/06/23/decency-pure-and-simple/#comment-4932 I nearly agree with you nearly all the way...but you contradict yourself and we have had that argument a couple of times. The world is full of evil and there is are so many people and causes that should be worty anyones "godness", so everyone is forced to choose causes and set priorities. I m not talking of treating other people with respect, as anyone who does not respect a trisaw driver or someone holding open a door should get that right before embarking on greater humanitarian missions and that it exactly where making the world a better place starts and ends. BUT I do think that there is a need for anyone individually to asses what he or she wants to help, because there are a lot of people out there who just live on other peoples bad conscience. You get INGOs in that category that capitalise on the bad conscience of the "western world" and you get beggers infront of MC who are strategicaly placed there by the begger mafia to capitaise on the fact that in sri lanka people would not want to be seen comming out of a "luxery shopping complex" passing 10 beggers without giving any of them anyting. In the end I would want whatever I can spare from the money I have to actually do some good and not end in the pocket of someone who comes and collects the money of the street beggers by the end of the day and drives off in his prado to the next casino. Neither would I want to donate it to an international organisation of which I know that the people working for it are besides doing helpful to the communities they are working in, are wasting money on exessive advertising campaigns and staff that lives miles above standard of the country they work in. I think its not about choosing who deserves your godness either but I think everybody who wants to do good should put some serious thought into what could actually DO good appart from it just beeing done with good intetions, because otherwise it is just a modern indulgance. I nearly agree with you nearly all the way…but you contradict yourself and we have had that argument a couple of times.
The world is full of evil and there is are so many people and causes that should be worty anyones “godness”, so everyone is forced to choose causes and set priorities.
I m not talking of treating other people with respect, as anyone who does not respect a trisaw driver or someone holding open a door should get that right before embarking on greater humanitarian missions and that it exactly where making the world a better place starts and ends.
BUT I do think that there is a need for anyone individually to asses what he or she wants to help, because there are a lot of people out there who just live on other peoples bad conscience. You get INGOs in that category that capitalise on the bad conscience of the “western world” and you get beggers infront of MC who are strategicaly placed there by the begger mafia to capitaise on the fact that in sri lanka people would not want to be seen comming out of a “luxery shopping complex” passing 10 beggers without giving any of them anyting. In the end I would want whatever I can spare from the money I have to actually do some good and not end in the pocket of someone who comes and collects the money of the street beggers by the end of the day and drives off in his prado to the next casino. Neither would I want to donate it to an international organisation of which I know that the people working for it are besides doing helpful to the communities they are working in, are wasting money on exessive advertising campaigns and staff that lives miles above standard of the country they work in.
I think its not about choosing who deserves your godness either but I think everybody who wants to do good should put some serious thought into what could actually DO good appart from it just beeing done with good intetions, because otherwise it is just a modern indulgance.

]]> by: Archangel http://electra.blogsome.com/2009/06/23/decency-pure-and-simple/#comment-4930 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:34:54 +0100 http://electra.blogsome.com/2009/06/23/decency-pure-and-simple/#comment-4930 That was a lovely post. Thanks. I think we sometimes underestimate the joy of giving unconditionally. I doubt anyone really regrets being generous. In fact we often stop to think if we can afford it, but once we go through with it, we tend to be glad we made the right choice. That 'feel good' feeling is also a hugely unexplored motivation. It's probably a selfish reason, since it's slightly therapeutic. But the getter cares not for the giver's motives. P.S. Shouldn't it be "wary" instead of "weary"? TYFR That was a lovely post. Thanks. I think we sometimes underestimate the joy of giving unconditionally. I doubt anyone really regrets being generous. In fact we often stop to think if we can afford it, but once we go through with it, we tend to be glad we made the right choice. That ‘feel good’ feeling is also a hugely unexplored motivation. It’s probably a selfish reason, since it’s slightly therapeutic. But the getter cares not for the giver’s motives.

P.S. Shouldn’t it be “wary” instead of “weary”?

TYFR

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