In the two examples you quote, I am saying that money is easily changeable into food. The reverse is actually not true (which is why there is a lot of food wast

In the two examples you quote, I am saying that money is easily changeable into food. The reverse is actually not true (which is why there is a lot of food waste and charities handle redistributing some of it). I’m missing the cognitive dissonance. We’ve surprised hungry people with food at an opportune moment, not money. If you want a clearer discussion on the distinction, Dan Ariely has a great explanation on paying his mother-in-law for diner. I’d be happy to quote Amartya Sen or Kahneman on the same topic if you want a clearer explanation.