2 ms·

It depends on the individual. Any generalized answer will have cases that don't seem to fit. Personally, if a guy looks like he's in rough shape and asks me f

It depends on the individual. Any generalized answer will have cases that don't seem to fit. Personally, if a guy looks like he's in rough shape and asks me for a drink, I might oblige him. Not because I think it's helping him in the long run, but because it could help him feel better now.

simulo 2y ago
> Not because I think it's helping him in the long run, but because it could help him feel better now. Very much this: The long run is vague, and the only sure thing is that we will be dead. But this is a small thing one can do now.
troupe 2y ago
I've tried to help some homeless people get into a place where they are provided with housing, jobs, etc. to try to get them back on their feet. They often didn't last very long because they knew that on the street, people would give them money that they could spend on drugs and alcohol. So the difficulty with giving them money for alcohol is that it might make it harder for them to stick with a place that is actually able to help them in the long run. (And I don't mean to be critical of your position, just pointing out that it might not be neutral in the long term.)
- giraffe_lady 2y ago
  More likely the housing had requirements like strict abstinence without providing any of the support they would need to actually quit. When people aren't using the services there's always a reason. You might not find that reason valid ("well then they should just quit" etc) but it's there. An addict on the street isn't having a better time than you would be doing the same thing. You have to consider why they experience that as a better option for themselves than the one you're presenting.
  - troupe 2y ago
    > When people aren't using the services there's always a reason. That is what I was saying. There is the perceived return on investment of using the services designed to help get one out of homelessness, and it is being weighed against the perceived return of going back to the street. If you can bring in several hundred dollars a day on the streets that you can spend on alcohol, the effort of being in a place that is trying to help you change your situation might be hard to justify. But a big piece of the equation is how easy it is to just get cash from well-meaning people on the street. I'm not disagreeing with you about needing help with addictions, but there are two sides to the equation.

simulo 2y ago

> Not because I think it's helping him in the long run, but because it could help him feel better now. Very much this: The long run is vague, and the only sure thing is that we will be dead. But this is a small thing one can do now.

troupe 2y ago

I've tried to help some homeless people get into a place where they are provided with housing, jobs, etc. to try to get them back on their feet. They often didn't last very long because they knew that on the street, people would give them money that they could spend on drugs and alcohol. So the difficulty with giving them money for alcohol is that it might make it harder for them to stick with a place that is actually able to help them in the long run. (And I don't mean to be critical of your position, just pointing out that it might not be neutral in the long term.)

giraffe_lady 2y ago
More likely the housing had requirements like strict abstinence without providing any of the support they would need to actually quit. When people aren't using the services there's always a reason. You might not find that reason valid ("well then they should just quit" etc) but it's there. An addict on the street isn't having a better time than you would be doing the same thing. You have to consider why they experience that as a better option for themselves than the one you're presenting.
- troupe 2y ago
  > When people aren't using the services there's always a reason. That is what I was saying. There is the perceived return on investment of using the services designed to help get one out of homelessness, and it is being weighed against the perceived return of going back to the street. If you can bring in several hundred dollars a day on the streets that you can spend on alcohol, the effort of being in a place that is trying to help you change your situation might be hard to justify. But a big piece of the equation is how easy it is to just get cash from well-meaning people on the street. I'm not disagreeing with you about needing help with addictions, but there are two sides to the equation.