Do you, personally, owe anything to the greater good?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Are there any circumstances in which you believe that, though a given action, practice, indulgence, or whatnot would be to your personal benefit, you should nonetheless forbear for the sake of the greater good?

Please note that I’m using the word “you” in the narrow sense. I’m not asking if you think people IN GENERAL should act for the greater good of their families, communities, cities, nations, or world; I’m asking what each poster believes he or she should do.

You can wait for the poll if you like,but since I’m not going to include one that would be stupid.

2

Sure. I don’t have enough money to help anybody, but I can make platelets and I donate them several times a year. None of us can do it all, but all of us can do something.

3

Of course. In the words of Red Green, “We’re all in this together.”

4

Yes. I owe it to myself to work for the greater good. When I work solely for my own interest, I become restless, irritable, and discontent. When I work for the greater good, I am a happier person.

So working for the greater good is in my own best interest.

5

Don’t make me slap that magic marker out of your hand, satyr.

More seriously, can you give a specific example?

6

I could be out making a butt load of money as a lawyer, used-car salesman, politician or some other form of sub-human slime. Instead, I teach. In a public school. And I coach, too. For a stipend that works out to about $0.13/hour.

7

Yes, it’s why I went into non-profit work. I feel like if you have certain advantages, you should use those advantages to the benefit of others who don’t have them. Life may not ever be fair but I want to at least tip the balance a little in their favor.

8

On behalf of the world’s public interest attorneys, I would like to sincerely invite you to try to get at least a little bit over yourself.

As to the OP, of course I do. That’s all there really is, ultimately.

9

My entire adult life I have worked for the greater public good.

My entire personal life has been for the greater good of my family.

But in between I’ve found a good bit of time for some old-fashioned selfishness.

10

Donate blood? Check
Tutor kids I don’t know at afterschool programs? Check
Organize food baskets and clothing closets through church? Check

The big questions is: will there be pie?

11

bolded words mine

These seem to be asking two potentially opposite questions. The first asks if I shouldn’t do something I might otherwise want to do, the second asks if I should do something I might not otherwise want to do. I don’t think those are the same thing. Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but I don’t think “don’t be a jerk” is the same as “be a good dude”.

Anyway, my answers are pretty much what you’d expect of someone who has always sought out work in fields which help people: yeah, I should help people. I should try not to be a jerk and do things which would harm others in the process of benefiting me, *and *I should use my talents, skills and good fortune to help others. Why? Because that’s the kind of world I want to live in, so that’s the kind of world I’m creating.

12

NM

13

I think we all do.

We are all in this together. Some are more able than others, in a variety of ways and capabilities.

Maybe we don’t all have to do mandatory military service or public service, but even if everyone only kicked in a couple of hours a month doing something, so much good could be done for each and every community we have, it would be a new country.

When UGA has a home game in Athens, GA, I volunteer with the Red Cross providing first aid and communications at the stadium. There’s almost a hundred of us per game every week. We do it at local rodeos, 5k runs, bike rides, and more.

There are many ways Americans - and anyone - can help their neighbors and community with just a little effort and compassion, and it don’t cost a thing.

You don’t have to create or lead a great social cause. Just help out a little. Be the person your dog thinks you are.:smiley:

14

Yes, I think I personally owe something - quite a bit - to the greater good. I live in a society and a nation which have given much to me and my family.

Absolutely pure altruism is somewhat rare, but it does exist; utter selfishness is far too common. As for me, I do lots of things I don’t have to, because I think it helps other people and also makes me feel good: recycling, volunteering (Boy Scouts, American Constitution Society, Civil War roundtable, my son’s high school, the bar association, my church, campaigns for political candidates I like, local foodbank, etc.), voting, donating, buying food for homeless people, picking up litter, and on and on.

15

I try to give back when I can, but admit to still being selfish when I’ve reached my limit or get annoyed.

I’m reminded of this old cartoon episode I saw once. Its from a 90’s Disney cartoon called Talespin that follows Baloo from the Jungle Book as his job as a pilot, Louie the orangutan as a nightclub owner, and Shere Khan as a wealthy and ruthless businessman. Baloo had saved Khan’s life somehow and in repayment, Khan said Baloo can have anything he wants. At first, Baloo, being rather simpleminded, just wants some small stuff. But gradually he warms up to the debt by Khan and asks for bigger and bigger things, leading Khan to get annoyed and try to kill him.

I think I’m generally lucky in my life having no real issues besides First World Problems. So where I can help out, I do, like give blood (used to, not anymore though), donate money, or donate food. But my limit is when I have to go far out of my way to do it.

After 9/11, I was still in the giving blood mood, and went to line up to donate like a lot of people did. I was waiting for an hour or 3, then was told that because of a small canker sore on my lip, they didn’t want to risk it. That was the last time I gave blood because the experience was just so annoying

Likewise, I’ve donated money before and still do, but they mostly consist of spare change. I usually won’t go out of my way to give large denominations because I really don’t think I need to be THAT good of a person. There is this homeless guy who stands near an intersection I take a lot, and I have given him large bills ($20’s usually), but if he’s not there, I’m going to go out of my way to write a check to a charity.

More recently, I’ve donated money to Democratic causes and sometimes troll the idiots on Yahoo.com comments. With the degree and amount of insanity I see in the GOP, I feel that anything I can do, however small, to help out liberal ideas or elected officials helps and is not in vain.

16

My sincerest apologies to the both of you. :stuck_out_tongue:

17

Who other than a sociopath would say no to this question?

18

You never know.

19

Sure. On Thursday night I’d rather be out with my family, or at home watching TV, or doing any number of other things besides what I actually do. Which is volunteer to tutor people in need at a great non-profit learning center.

I work in non-profits for my career, but pure self-interest would have me doing similar work at a consulting firm or something for double or more my salary.

But I moved to a good neighborhood so I can send my kids to good public schools. These schools are pretty segregated income wise, and to a lesser degree racially. Many advocates state that parents with resources should stay in neighborhoods with poor schools, send their kids there, and work to improve the schools. For the greater good, because not everyone can pick up and move to the good school districts. I agree in theory, but I’m not that selfless :stuck_out_tongue:

20

I guess its a matter of degree. Or maybe its just that there are an awful lot of sociopaths around.