DISQUS

Danny Kam · 2 months ago

I really liked where your post ended up, but it seems too much to me that you are saying the purpose for rehabilitating someone is to make the "productive" again. Maybe I misunderstood your point, but you spent all that time talking about how we need to make sure we are not using the "value" of our dollar. I think that misses the central point of the value people put in people regardless of their economic worth. What do you think?

brian · 2 months ago

Good post, Drew!

This underscores the reaction that many -- if not most -- have to the "charity" of others, that of resentment. If I throw money at your problem, that shows you that I perceive your suffering is of less value than my time and effort. On the other hand, if I truly value your well-being, I will invest my time and effort to better your situation -- money be damned. It's called "time preference," and it drives all market/value transactions; if your suffering isn't worth my time to me, I may throw money at it, but I will spend my time elsewhere (kind of like my decision whether to mow my lawn myself, or hire someone to do it for me).

A parallel can be seen in our schools. We've been collectively throwing tax dollars at them for decades now, with disastrously decreasing returns. Personal investment in individuals -- with time spent tutoring and/or mentoring -- would have had significantly better results all along, but Americans (and probably people in genral) have bought into the mindset that "someone more suited" (usually a government organ) could do a better job. This mindset robs us of our connectedness and our humanity.