It’s easy to look at those with more money than us and think it’s their responsibility to help the struggling masses. They have more than everyone else, so they should give back, right? But are those of us who have tighter budgets to run excused from giving because we have less to spare?
But then there’s that sneaky little saying that always seems to come along: “Doing what is right is not always easy.” It can be said backwards and forwards, and it still seems to stay true. Getting into the mindset that we’re just middle- and low-income people, part of the 99%, and don’t have much to spare seems the popular option these days. It’s all true, of course—we don’t have much to spare. But don’t we have more than some others?
The Giving Pledge is a great way for encouraging billionaires to dedicate the majority of their money to charity. But the pledge is open to anyone, no matter their financial background. So why haven’t more non-billionaires joined the cause? We don’t have to be rich to give to charity. We don’t even have to have a “comfortable” lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be big—it just has to be for a good cause.
It’s hard to draw the line, though. Some people really do fall into the category of barely getting by. And though they might have a roof over their head and just enough food to get by, they probably don’t have the resources to give back—and that’s fine.
The question being asked here is different, though. It’s a question of those of us who think we have nothing extra to give but really do—we just use it for a little added comfort in life. A coffee, a treat, a mini-shopping spree. We’ve all been there. But perhaps we should examine ourselves at times, and rather than immediately dismissing the possibility of giving back, actually give it a chance. Isn’t it worth a little extra work on our part to help others?
Instead of buying your morning Starbucks, why not give a breakfast to that homeless person on the corner? Instead of sleeping in on Saturday morning, why not help out a charitable organization? Why not make a donation to a cause you believe in?
Why not?
2 replies on “Should Only the Rich Give to the Poor?”
Hi…i have a small inquiry About the image for the writer.. Is that image royalty free? Would it be okay if i were to use it some where else?
Hi there,
The image was procured from a stock image website (Shutterstock.com), which the author has an account with. Unfortunately, photos from stock image sites aren’t meant to be shared elsewhere because of copyright issues. I hope this answers your question!