Have you ever thought that doing what's good for you may not necessarily be the right thing to do, or most useful, or most beneficial to society or even those that could really use your help?
Say you were given the opportunity to take up a position in a "Third World" or developing country that offered you a lifestyle that you could only dream about at home. First class and first rate living.
You know you're exploiting a corrupt system, but you don't care. It's all about you and what this opportunity can do for you now and for your future.
On the other hand, why would you perpetuate an unequal system that benefits the few "haves" and continues to marginalize the many "have nots"? And why not use your talents, gifts, knowledge, and privilege to help others and not just yourself?
Don't look at this as a hypothetical scenario - we all face this situation and others just like it all the time.
What would you do?
Say you were given the opportunity to take up a position in a "Third World" or developing country that offered you a lifestyle that you could only dream about at home. First class and first rate living.
You know you're exploiting a corrupt system, but you don't care. It's all about you and what this opportunity can do for you now and for your future.
On the other hand, why would you perpetuate an unequal system that benefits the few "haves" and continues to marginalize the many "have nots"? And why not use your talents, gifts, knowledge, and privilege to help others and not just yourself?
Don't look at this as a hypothetical scenario - we all face this situation and others just like it all the time.
What would you do?
I'd find some middle ground.
ReplyDeleteMake money, invest a chunk of it back into grassroots programs to build the community that you're working in; teach English to rich private school students by day, teach English to poor students at a church in the evening.
it also depends on the country, not all jobs offered overseas, have the luxury living. my father works in a third world country, but doesn't live the lavish life there, does more then whats expected of him in his position.
ReplyDeletewhen you commit to something as big and important as helping those in need, you almost become selfless..but then again that depends on the person. cause there a lot of people ive met first hand that do it for the money and the lavish living.
Very good points from both comments. How about I throw a spin on this question: How many people actually go out of their way to help those in need at home? What does it mean to be "selfless" in the Canadian context when all we care about is ourselves?
ReplyDeleteIf I'm the Grinch in my own country, why should I become Mother Theresa somewhere else?
A wise man once told me that a leopard never changes its spots.
that is very true, you make a valid point. but you also have to see the different circumstances, what your doing to help your people here is on a completly different scale. there is so much more you have to factor into these things. if for example i wanted to do something to help the people of canada .. i dont have a lot of options we have the nessecities of life. and anything deeper then that we have not much say over a lot of things we would want to make a difference towards. as oppose to going back home and helping those that need it much more then we do.
ReplyDeleteand in reality a person that would go out of their way and be selfless and help someone in a thirdworld country..they are being selfless because they up and leave the comfont, family, friends, work and luxury of life they have here to be able to make a slight difference in someones life that is less fortunate. ... i dont know if im gettin my poing across.. but ya .. :)