The quest to give effectively feels like it’s turning me into an cold-hearted jerk.
Your Mileage May Vary is an advice column offering you a new framework for thinking through your ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions. This unconventional column is based on value pluralism — the idea that each of us has multiple values that are equally valid but that often conflict with each other. Here is a Vox reader’s question, condensed and edited for clarity.
I think I have a duty to help people much poorer than me, and I give 10 percent of my salary to charities that I think are effective at preventing early death due to poverty. I also live in a city with a lot of visible homelessness, and am often solicited for money. My brain says that this is not an effective way to help people; the people asking might not be the neediest among the homeless in my city, and the people I’m sending malaria bednets and pills to are even needier. At the same time, I feel callous simply ignoring all these requests. What should I do?
Do not think that you are a bad person for not donating every time, I would like to be able to give to everyone, but on many occasions unfortunately there are those who take advantage of kindness and pretend to be someone in trouble, they simply always try to do good without expect some reward in return, which is what it consists of
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You can't save everyone on your own. It sounds like you are very generous already.
When you are able to give to homeless people, I recommend giving food or useful items as opposed to cash, so you know they aren't using at least your contribution for substance abuse. That being said cash is better than nothing.
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I prefer giving directly. There isn't a charity that I trust. The important thing is to give in my opinion.
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I have had beautiful connections on the street.
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