Economy of Thought
Well, you were warned...here cometh the random meandering.
On Sunday I fancied getting out into a nice sunny day and doing something involving a little exertion. So I drove over to the Welsh border and climbed the first hill I came across. Which was all very nice. But the point is that, with the current price of petrol, the fact that
Now this made me think. I have a couple of direct debits set up to charities. £10 would be about the average amount I give to a charity per month. So I just spent as much money as I feel, say, cancer research is worth per month...on climbing a hill, an exercise that is essentially free. This should make me feel a little guilty – and I’m not even taking into account the fact that petrol is ‘bad’ for more reasons than its cost – and yet I can’t seem to feel guilty because I do feel that having a few hours outside climbing a hill was a good thing to spend my money on.
Which led me, somewhat circuitously, to my question/dilemma of the day. Why does money feel like a cheat? I give money to charity but it doesn’t hurt me. I don’t really have to do anything actively. Yet that money goes to alleviate famine or whatever. I’m sure I would feel much more worthwhile in myself if I were actually out there doing the alleviation – but I’m not honestly sure it’d be any more use to the famine-stricken. Or, to put it another way, which lifestyle does the most ‘good’ in the world: someone who lives a subsistence lifestyle in an environmentally-friendly way; or someone who is an equally nice person but works in a high-powered business job and gives a large proportion of their salary to charity? I know which one feels like the ‘better’ choice – but is it? If you take the money aspect out, person number 2 is basically doing the work they do in exchange for the people who want the work done providing goods and services for those in need of them. Which sounds somehow better. And may do more good to those who need help than person number 1’s lifestyle.
I don’t think there’s an answer to this. I don’t think you could even quantitatively compare the benefits of a barter economy to a moneyed one. But why does money feel so unreal? And is that disconnect bad for us somehow?
Oh, every paragraph I write on this is sprouting another twenty unanswerable questions. I’ll stop.
posted by skittledog @ 7:48 pm
13 comments
13 Comments:
Hmmph. I hoped that this wasn't the waste of time that prevented you from emailing me. It appears it was. Curse you and the inventer of blogger. Must draw up plans for revenge.
I saw '1 comments' and I thought to myself: 'I know who that is.'
Then I thought 'and I bet I know what her comment is, too.'
It's nice to be right.
They are both setting good examples. It doesn't matter on your lifestyle, you should always try and give something back. Says the girl who cancelled World Vision. *rolls eyes*
One of the nice things about having 20 unanswerable questions in each paragraph is that no matter what reply I make, I am addressing a question.
"I give money to charity but it doesn’t hurt me. I don’t really have to do anything actively. . . .I’m sure I would feel much more worthwhile in myself if I were actually out there..."
What if the money did "hurt" you? What if you added enough money to what you give to charity so that it meant you had to change something? Buy less books, rent less movies, save up longer for a new television... whatever.
There is long term and short term aid. Both are important.
Rian, being an extremely deep and thoughtful creature, has a very Important Question:
What is a 'cheese bap'?
Hah.
To jes: yes, but that wasn't my question. Why does the one which is not money-based feel better, no matter that I may know otherwise?
To emano: oh, don't. I should. I should give more. On occasion I do. But even then I never really notice it: not to the level of having to eat cheaper food, or the like. Generally I do not budget well and so once money's gone it's gone, I don't really notice where, and I don't spend any more until more arrives. So it indirectly will stop me buying dvs...but no, I don't look at a nice shiny dvd and think 'no, I won't, I'll give the money to Oxfam.' I should. I suppose in my head I'm initially aiming for tithing, but it's a way off...
To Rian: it's Cheshire or perhaps generic northwest england for a cheese roll. Grated cheese in a bread roll. I was hungry and they had nothing else left. Baps...are what burgers come in, basically. That kind of soft white flat roll.
Jumping on a soapbox of my own- I encourage you to do some kind of "short term mission project" (I only know what the church world calls such things, not what the rest of the world would, or if it would be different.) Spend a week working on a house for Habitat for Humanity or something, possibly even leaving the country to do so. It *does* feel different than just writing a check to get yourself physically involved. Getting up to doves cooing in El Salvador and putting on workboots before going to lay bricks for a week makes your own home and department stores look different when you come back. *climbs down from soapbox*
*steals soapbox and stands on it herself*
I've done conservation holidays in Britain. Not on the same level, obviously, but yes - makes you look at things a bit differently. And I realise just how much I enjoy physical work (even though I really suck at it.)
I wish I could find some way to make a living from things that I enjoy doing and which are worthwhile...there must be a way to do it, but until I find it I'll keep being a (not-so-)good little graduate in a normal job.
All those "worthwhile" organizations have paid staff. Of course, they're probably not paid very well. Although that is not the only consideration, it does matter.
I think it has to be about balance. Living a reasonable lifestyle that benefits more than just yourself (even if just living sensibly environment-wise), and perhaps adding a few monetary contributions here and there as well.
Being conscious of it is the main thing... the fact that your attitude is in the right place is a huge point in your favour. A lot of people don't even think twice about it.
But I know someone who would tell me that thoughts count for nothing and only in actions do we prove anything...
And in actions I'm flying off to Barcelona for a self-indulgent holiday in a week and a half's time. Wasting money _and_ jet fuel. Can I make myself feel sorry about it? Not a chance. :)
Was that me?
Incidentally, I love Barcelona even though it smells of dog piss. But I still don't think you should be allowed to go. Just how many holidays have you had this year? Paris... Berlin... Caravan/Devon... Have I missed any out? Possibly.
But I know someone who would tell me that thoughts count for nothing and only in actions do we prove anything...
That's another thing I can never make my mind up about. Of course the way you think about things matters. Thought comes before action... at least in most cases.
But my philosophy of science lecturer said that intentions don't mean anything, and in a practical sense I have to agree. What does my thinking that I should do something do to help or make a difference?
I do this too. I want to make a contribution, and I've made generous ones at times, but I will choose myself over a stranger or a cause if it comes to having to practise self-denial. And then feel guilty about it.
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