Having a conscience is not special.
If one more person describes me as “wanting to save the world” because I
(1) try to buy ethically produced products and
(2) am charitable
I am going to scream.
Recognising that we support the companies that make products when we buy those products, and choosing not to support companies whose products are produced unethically, is not special. It’s not “trying to save the world”. It’s being honest enough to recognise that there is a problem and trying to be a part of the solution. It’s having a conscience.
Being charitable does not make me special, I’m not doing anything special. I recognise that I have more than my fair share.
This applies to everyone of us who is not starving right now. We were born with opportunities that others were not — there is nothing fair about modern wealth distribution. Don’t get me wrong, I am not as charitable as I could/should be. I recognise that I am being a selfish prick by not giving more and I’m ok with that … because I am a selfish prick. We are all selfish pricks. Honestly, we are — let’s just admit it to ourselves.
People need to stop pretending that being charitable is special. Charity is an obligation we all fall short of meeting, not a gift we give to the world.
And please, for the love of God, stop talking to me about how you are doing your share by keeping people who suffer ‘in your thoughts and prayers.’ I do the same thing sometimes — because I am being lazy and don’t want to DO something to help the situation. I am, once again, drawn to an article on cracked that hits on this:
“Inside, you have great compassion for poor people. Great. Does that result in you doing anything about it? Do you hear about some terrible tragedy in your community and say, ‘Oh, those poor children. Let them know that they are in my thoughts’? Because fuck you if so — find out what they need and help provide it.
A hundred million people watched that Kony video, virtually all of whom kept those poor African children ‘in their thoughts.’ What did the collective power of those good thoughts provide? Jack fucking shit. Children die every day because millions of us tell ourselves that caring is just as good as doing. It’s an internal mechanism controlled by the lazy part of your brain to keep you from actually doing work.”
So just stop it. Stop thinking that charity and ethical consumption are saintly or special. They are neither. The lack of either is what should be noticed and resolved.
