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This does not just apply in India. A long time ago, I had a job soliciting donations door to door in the US. We did all we could to avoid the rich neighborhoods
by davidroberts 13y ago
This does not just apply in India. A long time ago, I had a job soliciting donations door to door in the US. We did all we could to avoid the rich neighborhoods and actively sought out the poor minority neighborhoods. People in those neighborhoods with only two dollars would give one to help others. In the rich neighborhoods, they would call the police the moment they saw you. If I ever had to have a heart attack in the street, I would much rather have it in a poor neighborhood, because some kind person would help me.
My theory is that poor people rely on cooperation with others to survive, and this forces them to develop compassion and learn good human relations at a young age. Rich people on the other had don't need others so much, and instead are much likely be in competition with them.
Even in family relations this applies. Siblings in poor families offer much needed support to each other. In rich families siblings seem more likely to be considered as competitors for parental affections at a young age, and competitors for inheritance when older. This mentality of constant competition is poisonous.
Honestly, I think that being rich is a pretty clear path to ultimate unhappiness. Better to be slightly poor in money and rich in the things that actually bring happiness, like family, health, friends, spare time, and a clear conscience.
- huhtenberg 13y ago> Even in family relations this applies. And you are saying this based on what? Common sense?
- chii 13y agohollywood dramas...
- moens 13y agoAgreed, "All elites have a ferocious sense of entitlement" [fixed]
- sk5t 13y agoI don't think it's that the rich don't want to help, but they are accustomed to fending off people trying to take their money. Deal with it often enough and everyone looks like a swindler--it's a bit like the experience of moving to the big city, and learning that it's better to brush off 100% of the people on the street who have a sob story, just need bus or subway fare, or claim to have gotten their car towed. Also, in rich neighborhoods, the police have the time and inclination to speak with unlicensed door-to-door peddlers. It is unquestionably in the wealthy homeowners' interests to discourage both solicitors and burglars from wandering the neighborhood, knocking on doors, seeing who's home and who's not...
- duck 13y agoThere has been numerous studies that show the rich give far less than the poor to charities, so this doesn't back up your claim at all.
- jiggy2011 13y agoIn the UK a lot of door to door collecting for charities is done by private companies who take a significant chunk of the donation for themselves. Perhaps richer people are more likely to know this and be sceptical of door to door collections. They may also value their time more and not like being "hassled". This does not necessarily mean that they do not provide charity donations. They may just do it in a smarter way, for example attending charity dinners/events where they get to rub shoulders with other affluent people.
- prawn 13y agoOr they have already selected charities or provide professional support, and don't want countless more charities hitting them up.
- markdown 13y ago> This does not necessarily mean that they do not provide charity donations. They may just do it in a smarter way, for example attending charity dinners/events where they get to rub shoulders with other affluent people. Smarter = self-serving?
- jiggy2011 13y agoI suppose you could say that, or an alignment of interests.
- chii 13y agopeople don't donate (at least, not those huge donors who throw lavish dinner parties) out of the kindness of their own hearts. They do so to appear charitable, and to show off their status. THis is why you don't often see private, undisclosed and anonymous donations in large amounts. When a rich elite donates money, they are doing it to sing praises for themselves - whether they admit it consciously or not. The end result is still good - i don't care whether their charitible activities are self-serving, provided that it achieves the results of helping those who needed the charity.
- jiggy2011 13y ago
- mynameishere 13y agoWhat the hell kind of idiot would give money to some guy begging door-to-door? You might consider that the rich didn't get that way by being idiots.
- vacri 13y agoLow-quality and dysfunctional friends and family are rife everywhere, not just in wealthy areas.