Poll: ZOMG THE GUILT!!!!

[jef91]

My fellow escapists...

I encountered a moral dilemma today and am interested in surveying you guys:

20% of the world's population has 80% of the wealth (this comes from Pareto's Principle)

I live in a very wealthy country, and as I consume my quality goods and services, I can never shake this guilt. I wonder: "How is this at all fair? My laptop costs more than a great number of people in the world earn in a year".

How does this make you feel?

P.S. I understand a lot of you will reply with things like "just stop caring, thats how I get through the day", or "perhaps you've never had a double quarter pounder while you're sobering up after a night out partying in the city". Do not waste your time, go to another thread.

 

[delet]

Sorry, but there is no guilt to begin with. I go through my day and enjoy it as much as I can. Why should I feel guilty about that?

 

[JEBWrench]

I am extremely grateful for what I have.

 

[reg42]

It doesn't make me feel very guilty. The world's unfair, and it's not like I can change anything anyway.

 

[Agayek]

I might feel guilty if I had done anything, in any way, shape or form to cause that 80% to be so relatively poor. The situation arose through no choice of my own, so I refuse to feel guilty about it. That said, neither am I going to give up the privileges and wealth I was lucky enough to be born into.

 

[jef91]

I might feel guilty if I had done anything, in any way, shape or form to cause that 80% to be so relatively poor. The situation arose through no choice of my own, so I refuse to feel guilty about it. That said, neither am I going to give up the privileges and wealth I was lucky enough to be born into.

Hmm, interesting point - but my guilt stems from wondering why I deserve luxury, not whether I caused the problem or not.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I can't help what part of the world or what class I was born into, and I will not feel guilty for it. I can, however, feel sorry for those less fortunate, but it's not my fault, ergo; no, I do not feel this guilt.

 

[Agayek]

Hmm, interesting point - but my guilt stems from wondering why I deserve luxury, not whether I caused the problem or not.

You don't deserve it, but that doesn't mean you should feel guilty about it.

People deserve precisely one thing: the fallout from their choices. This includes whatever wealth they accumulate through their own hard work, and the consequences (for good or ill) of any decisions they make. That does not mean one should feel guilty for things beyond their control. There's no reason to feel guilty about something you had no say in or control of. It's kinda silly to work any other way, because you'll just always be feeling guilty for something, and that seems a terrible way to live.

 

[steevee]

Nope, no guilt. Then, I'm told I have no feelings, soo....

Honestly? I don't practice altruism, I was born into this life, and that's great, I'll make the most of it. You owe it to those that don;t have, to live the best life you can After all, if they have nothing, but you, the person with everything is unhappy, then no-ones hapy, are they? This way, at least one of you can be happy.

 

[Kurokami]

My fellow escapists...

I encountered a moral dilemma today and am interested in surveying you guys:

20% of the world's population has 80% of the wealth (this comes from Pareto's Principle)

I live in a very wealthy country, and as I consume my quality goods and services, I can never shake this guilt. I wonder: "How is this at all fair? My laptop costs more than a great number of people in the world earn in a year".

How does this make you feel?

P.S. I understand a lot of you will reply with things like "just stop caring, thats how I get through the day", or "perhaps you've never had a double quarter pounder while you're sobering up after a night out partying in the city". Do not waste your time, go to another thread.

really...?

REALLY?!??

Sorry, you probably just weren't here to see it, but an incredibly similar thread was up and very active the other day. (though the OP's word was care rather than guilt)

Hell no I don't feel guilty. Would you feel guilty for everyone else who bought a ticket if you won the lottery? Not much reason to get into discussion since I feel its been exhausted, but really? Do you really care? Look at the wealth spread in your own country, you can probably pin the guilt on others if you feel its really that necessary.

 

[Shru1kan]

I am grateful for what I have, but that is because my family has always been swinging from the middle-high class to near low class and poverty for generations. I sure hope I end up on the high end of it all.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Wealth =/= happiness. I think there's probably a greater percentage of content people in that 80% than there is in the 20%.
I am grateful to live this lifestyle though.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

You can't really fix it though. There will always be poor people in poor countries all over the globe and no matter how much aid we give them, they are still gonna be poor.

Zimbabwae is the poorest country on earth. It's market is so inflated that in order to buy a piece of bread, you'd need roughly a wheelbarrow of money. It's a matter of how a goverment runs a country as well I suppose.

 

[jef91]

Hmm, interesting point - but my guilt stems from wondering why I deserve luxury, not whether I caused the problem or not.

You don't deserve it, but that doesn't mean you should feel guilty about it.

People deserve precisely one thing: the fallout from their choices. This includes whatever wealth they accumulate through their own hard work, and the consequences (for good or ill) of any decisions they make. That does not mean one should feel guilty for things beyond their control. There's no reason to feel guilty about something you had no say in or control of. It's kinda silly to work any other way, because you'll just always be feeling guilty for something, and that seems a terrible way to live.

I would like to clarify that as depressing as the topic is, I am a happy person and I lead a very good life.

You're right, it is a terrible way to live. Perhaps I need to do something about it.

 

[Spygon]

Not guilt just lucky with where i was born.But i assume some people that are born in less well off countries have things i dont.

Trust me at the moment i would swap all my money and stuff for that.Well that sounded depressing lol

Pretty much wealth doesnt give you happiness.

 

[titanium turtle]

yeah a bit, and no it usually isn't their fault they are poor, it is usually some crazy dictator or natural disasters, poor agricultural land or any number of things that.
but I was born lucky, some aren't and suffer for that fact their whole lives

so yeah- fuck capitalism

 

[jef91]

My fellow escapists...

I encountered a moral dilemma today and am interested in surveying you guys:

20% of the world's population has 80% of the wealth (this comes from Pareto's Principle)

I live in a very wealthy country, and as I consume my quality goods and services, I can never shake this guilt. I wonder: "How is this at all fair? My laptop costs more than a great number of people in the world earn in a year".

How does this make you feel?

P.S. I understand a lot of you will reply with things like "just stop caring, thats how I get through the day", or "perhaps you've never had a double quarter pounder while you're sobering up after a night out partying in the city". Do not waste your time, go to another thread.

really...?

REALLY?!??

Sorry, you probably just weren't here to see it, but an incredibly similar thread was up and very active the other day. (though the OP's word was care rather than guilt)

Hell no I don't feel guilty. Would you feel guilty for everyone else who bought a ticket if you won the lottery? Not much reason to get into discussion since I feel its been exhausted, but really? Do you really care? Look at the wealth spread in your own country, you can probably pin the guilt on others if you feel its really that necessary.

my bad, will check next time

 

[Kurokami]

Wealth =/= happiness. I think there's probably a greater percentage of content people in that 80% than there is in the 20%.
I am grateful to live this lifestyle though.

Very debatable, I'll admit there's not much room for rumination when you've got simpler goals and less free time, but since the majority of these countries people are concentrating on survival I don't know whether I'd say they're happier than those of us with money to swing around.

Wealth isn't happiness, no argument there, but wealth is atleast a type of insurance, gives you a few less things to worry about.

 

[jef91]

You can't really fix it though. There will always be poor people in poor countries all over the globe and no matter how much aid we give them, they are still gonna be poor.

Zimbabwae is the poorest country on earth. It's market is so inflated that in order to buy a piece of bread, you'd need roughly a wheelbarrow of money. It's a matter of how a goverment runs a country as well I suppose.

I dunno, I just refuse to believe that it "can't be fixed".

 

[jef91]

Wealth =/= happiness. I think there's probably a greater percentage of content people in that 80% than there is in the 20%.
I am grateful to live this lifestyle though.

Very debatable, I'll admit there's not much room for rumination when you've got simpler goals and less free time, but since the majority of these countries people are concentrating on survival I don't know whether I'd say they're happier than those of us with money to swing around.

Wealth isn't happiness, no argument there, but wealth is atleast a type of insurance, gives you a few less things to worry about.

Check out Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs re wealth != happiness.