To me, the sheer number of charities is a paradox. Surely, if you had money that you felt like giving to a worthy cause, you would give it to the most worthy cause? Now there will be some disagreement over what is exactly the most worthy cause, but many, many, (I'd say the vast majority) of charities are easily seen as not being as beneficial as others.
For example. Note: Please try and take the following argument rationally. Seeing eye dogs: Ok good use of money I guess. Helps improve the quality of life of blind people and most certainly money better spent that buying a foot massage machine. But seriously? Compare the value of your charity.
1. $100 towards the seeing eye dog foundation. Your money pays for a fraction of the training of 1 dog that would slightly improve the quality of life of a blind person.
2. $100 towards starving children. You probably save the lives of multiple children and vastly increase their quality of life.
Why, when presented with these two options, would anyone choose the dog?
I'm constantly perplexed by animal charities. People giving money to them should just straight out say they value the continued existence of that particular species far more than human lives. Or that they consider a blind person having a seeing eye dog far more important than human lives.
This can even be extended further.Imagine you could save 10$ by walking to a supermarket 1km away or just buy a few items at a corner store near you. I'm sure many people would do this, but isn't that sort of the same as denying a starving child food, when you could have donated that 10$ to charity?
It's obvious that we, as a race, have somehow evolved to only display altruistism or sympathy when we are directly confronted with the problem. That's how we so quickly feeling sorry for pandas and then people.
The best amoung us is, by their ignoring of other people's plight, committing crimes that would land you many years in jail is those people happened to be near you. For all you spiteing those who leave their children to starve while they go out drinking and get criminal sentences for it, are you really so different?
Please no captain obvious for saying this, but you can now see why We are all Terrible People. (especially you, you know who you are)
*note I did make a somewhat similar topic about a year ago, but I wanted some more opinions.
For example. Note: Please try and take the following argument rationally. Seeing eye dogs: Ok good use of money I guess. Helps improve the quality of life of blind people and most certainly money better spent that buying a foot massage machine. But seriously? Compare the value of your charity.
1. $100 towards the seeing eye dog foundation. Your money pays for a fraction of the training of 1 dog that would slightly improve the quality of life of a blind person.
2. $100 towards starving children. You probably save the lives of multiple children and vastly increase their quality of life.
Why, when presented with these two options, would anyone choose the dog?
I'm constantly perplexed by animal charities. People giving money to them should just straight out say they value the continued existence of that particular species far more than human lives. Or that they consider a blind person having a seeing eye dog far more important than human lives.
This can even be extended further.Imagine you could save 10$ by walking to a supermarket 1km away or just buy a few items at a corner store near you. I'm sure many people would do this, but isn't that sort of the same as denying a starving child food, when you could have donated that 10$ to charity?
It's obvious that we, as a race, have somehow evolved to only display altruistism or sympathy when we are directly confronted with the problem. That's how we so quickly feeling sorry for pandas and then people.
The best amoung us is, by their ignoring of other people's plight, committing crimes that would land you many years in jail is those people happened to be near you. For all you spiteing those who leave their children to starve while they go out drinking and get criminal sentences for it, are you really so different?
Please no captain obvious for saying this, but you can now see why We are all Terrible People. (especially you, you know who you are)
*note I did make a somewhat similar topic about a year ago, but I wanted some more opinions.
