
…t and beautification where the poor and other unfortunates could rely on (some) benevolent support. But the emphasis on beauty and benevolence belied the true effect (and perhaps purpose) of these initiatives, which was to define the ideal citizen: one who was white, able-bodied, English-speaking, and sufficiently independent.
By being kind to yourself, by respecting yourself, you won’t have the need to prove to others how ‘good’ you are by demeaning yourself in any way. True satisfaction of doing good comes from a conscious choice to do good, not from being coerced into it.