- Jesus Zuazo
- Durango
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Do we really care for others or just think we do?
We talk a lot about how bad the world is, what we could do to improve it. Sometimes we give money to various charitable campaigns or even take part in a project, but often ignore the sadness, loneliness or illness of our closest neighbors. How much good can be done just to give a bit of friendly conversation to someone? How many times have we dodged a homeless man on the street as we come to give money to charity? Do we act and we are engaged? or we deceive ourselves to feel good?
Topics:
better world self improvement solidarity
Sarah Chang
I also believe that when it comes to danger, a life or death situation, we are truly caring. If a stranger is in a situation that can lead him or her to die and we can save them, I see many intervening to risk their own life for someone they don't even know.
The changing of our culture, the rapid consumerism, technological advances, inevitable exposure to greed coats a core that I think truly cares about humankind.
Casey Christofaris 10+
W. Ying 10+
Yes!
We do really care for others!
It is symbiosis ---- instinct (ancestors' successful experiences saved in our DNA).
But we care for different people in different degrees instinctively.
(For details, see the 1st article, points 4-8, at
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D&id=D24D89AE8B1E2E0D%21283&sc=documents).
Colleen Steen 500+
In my humble perception, "caring" doesn't have anything to do with giving money, UNLESS the giving of money for a particular cause has an underlying foundation of genuine authenticity and committment.
If one geneuniely takes part in a project, with awareness and committment, being fully engaged in the process, one does NOT ignore the sadness, loneliness or illness on the way. Some people are genuinely engaged, and some people are not....it is a choice in each and every moment of the life experience.
Louise Kyte
If we act to help others, then we help others. Generally they will forgive us if our hearts are not in the best of all places as we do so. We may be deceiving ourselves about how engaged we are, this is true. How many in a world that so often tells us to take care of ourselves first can truly put ourselves second when engaging with someone in need? Forgetting about ourselves successfully can take some practice. And as in all things, including all good things, can be overdone.
Dorian Knus
Regular people do not care enough to do something big.
pat gilbert 50+
Jesus Zuazo
pat gilbert 50+
Of course there is the opposite as well as with politics, they are traitors to mankind
Jesus Zuazo
... Usually they are forced to fight and as war rots everything they end commiting atrocities, perhaps the soldiers think that they are fighting for a better world or for a good cause and they feel like that , but they that give them orders have other plans and use wars and soldiers to their bussiness...
Mary M. 50+
I think that humans have the capability to really care for others. And even though we personally cannot care for everyone......we can reach out to those around us, don't you think? Many of my neighbors care for each other. I have lived in three countries and have seen this caring attitude in all the neighborhoods I have lived in. What about in your town/city?
Jesus Zuazo
Mary M. 50+
Just not in the numbers that you might want.
It is disappointing to ask for volunteers for a project and not have someone show up. But how do you change people?
I think many in society have become accustomed to giving money.....it is a HABIT....they give to churches, to the local firefighters who stand in corners with their boots, to the humane society (animals), to the united way, pretty much to just about anyone who asks for it.........so when they are asked to give of themselves.....their time and effort, they don't do it, because they have already given what "everybody else" has given. And in their mind, that is quite enough.
If there is an organization that needs your time and effort, then by all means get involved.
You can only control yourself Jesus, you cannot control others........maybe your good example will help others to change. Don't you think? :)
Jesus Zuazo
I agree, trying to give a good example may be contagious, especially when we act in the sight of children we can educate them in this way.
Mary M. 50+
Many times when we show a caring attitude to another person, that person might not necessarily care about us when we need them.
Many times we give to some people, but end up receiving what we need from a totally different group or individual........I don't know if you understand this?
Jesus Zuazo
I mean, more good actions sow, get better harvest (moreless explained)
Kate Blake 50+
Just listen to Amanda Palmers talk, she really engages/connects with others this is how she is SO successful with crowd sourcing. Because she is kind, genuine and connecting with others then people relate to that and offer her a bed or money.
Charles Curt
Jesus Zuazo
But there are things that money can not fix. E.g. there are a lot of elderly that sometimes only need someone to speak or to share a coup of coffee, undoubtedly any little bit piece of charity fix with money is good but sometimes we forget friendship, love, ... spent some time with them because is easier spent money.
Barry Palmer 50+
This makes a good point. The measure of a person's caring is in her/his actions, not words.
Yes, many of us deceive ourselves to feel good. Many people feel genuine empathy for the poor, the homeless and the hungry, and say that they care very much, but do nothing. They somehow believe that the emotions they experience are the same as caring.
By the way, I live in the USA and I was much more inclined to approach homeless people before we emptied most of our mental health hospitals because the mentally ill have the "right" to be homeless. It was no coincidence that this also reduced a lot of government budgets. We are an absurd society. Self deception is common.
Louise Kyte
Self deception can be very useful in the wrong hands. Take someone who can convince himself he has done something for a good motive, for human rights, let's say. His actual reason is to help his friends get rich, but he doesn't see it that way. So to reduce a large budget item in the state that has elected him governor, he declares that to have the mentally ill who are deemed not dangerous to society released into society will further their human rights. He promises they will continue to receive the care they need through out patient facilities. When what actually happens is that those facilities lose track of most of those patients almost overnight, he tells himself what he did was the right thing anyway. He continues to justify his failures to himself and others so successfully, that they do almost nothing to prevent him from becoming president of these United States. Even with the whole world watching him on the world stage, he is able to sell ideas that should make children weep in amusement at their absurdity. He remains one of our most popular presidents to this day. A snake oil salesman with a killing charm.
Allan Hotti
edulover learner
Fritzie Reisner 100+
And some care very little and have rationalizations to support their actions or lack thereof, perhaps considering themselves models of empathy. Some of the most ego-focused people I have met consider themselves models of empathy.
So it varies.