The world is getting better. Fast. In every aspect.
There is less famine, poverty, war, corruption, more education, more accessible medicine, our machines more eco-friendly, we are all interconnected, culture is widely available online, infrastructure improved enormously and travel costs have decreased. Our materials are stronger and cheaper to make, we are even getting close to becoming an interplanetary species.
Everyone is better off. In Africa, in Europe and in every continent. (Not to be confused with the gap between the rich and poor, this is still getting bigger, but the poor are improving their lifestyle drastically anyways which makes up for it - 1 -).
We are the most tolerant and open minded people that has ever existed. - But then again, so has every generation before us (many don't realise this) -
No matter at what aspect of life you look at... we have Improved. -One can argue we are now having worse social relationships and fake friends because of social networks -2-. Im talking in aspects of preserving life and prolonging it. We live for longer and we are healthier. The quality of life and how happy we are is another discussion.
The frustrating thing is...
How much better the world could be, with the resources we already have!
We have the technology, we have the know how, but we are improving much slower than we could. Be it due to frictions, bureaucratic barriers, inefficiencies and different opinions of what "good" and "progress" means. There are very few villains who want to see the world burn and a few cuckoo heads who think they are doing good things, but are not... In any case they are a minuscule minority.
Most of the people are kind hearted and want a better world. The main issue is we are blindly selfish with our day to day decisions. What I mean by this is... we are so focused on improving our own well being and living a happier easy breezy life that we don't even think of the less fortunate ones (me included).
Do you have Netflix, Spotify, Dropbox, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, HBO or other monthly subscription based services, but don't donate ANYTHING to those who need it more, not even monthly, but yearly! When was the last time you "sacrificed" a brunch to donate to those who don't have food on their table?
This is not a personal attack on you. This is only a small example of how our small decisions are "selfish". They aren't really... but there are many things we could do without that we decide to use, eat or have just because we like them, and then we can't even donate 10 euros each month to those who really need it.
Whenever this conversation comes up, there is always someone who says "No, of course... You don't need the 10 euros, but there are others who have a lot more and don't either." and with this, I partially agree. Let's explore this a little further...
We do not "need" multi billionaires (with a B)... they could easily give away an insignificant part of their wealth and make significant change in millions of lives.
What most don't know (or don't like to see) is that most Billionaires s and multi millionaire usually donate huge amounts to charities. They make a big change. Do they do the work themselves, no, but only getting their wallets out makes a massive difference. Could they give more? of course... But let's look at an example.
A person who is a multi millionaire (lets say... with a net worth of 100 million) goes to a charity gala, and donates 50K for whatever the cause of the evening is. What is 50k to them? Not much... .05% of their net worth to be precise. If we take a random European with a yearly income of 50K, if they donate .05% of what they earned that year (not their whole net worth) that's the equivalent of them donating 25 euros.
But, there are two big differences. How often do regular people go to events where they donate 25 euros? and the main difference. Even though in percentages they both are donating the same, one is actually donating 50k€ and the other only 25€. So, that image of the greedy multimillionaires is slightly exaggerated I believe.
Also, billionaires worked hard to be where they are at, and even if we don't need them, they devoted their life to money and money is what they have.
You say that if you had 100 Million you'd donate more? Well... if you don't donate now, it is likely that if you had more money, you wouldn't donate either. (These are called money habits and they are super important, but I won't talk about them here -3-).
The biggest change must come from government regulations and policies inside big corporations. The impact that we, as individuals can do, is tiny compared to what a massive multinationals can do (by for example, using sustainable materials, fair trade goods, recycled plastics, non abusive wages and so on) or by governments being more strict with regulations (banning single use plastics, raising minimum wages, spending money on education and infrastructure rather than weaponry or -what annoys the shit out of me- government cars, offices and stupid governmental jobs that are plain waste of peoples money). This is a biggie that must be explained another time. I am an economist (AKA, I know what im talking about, and this is not the point of this blog post). I understand how resources are limited and all the different frictions, barriers and interests that impede us from being as good as we can be with resources we already have (also given that, they are already better than they have ever been).
The whole point of this post is to say... if you are happy with your life. If you live comfortably. You don't need to worry about where your next meal is coming from... then, get into the habit of donating to others who don't have it as easy as you. Even if the impact of one individual is tiny, as a collective the power we have is huge!
It's as simple as downloading the UN ShareTheMeal app, or any other charity and do a small donation each month. I personally donate 15 euros each month to education and feeding the hungry. But, if you don't fancy these, there are thousands of causes that need funding. It could be for science, medicine, migration refugee rights, people with disabilities, disarmament of weapons, clean energy, recycling & waste reduction, not exploiting farmers and thousands of other things. You choose what your cause is. You can also "donate" for the development of technologies and business that want good for the world... but this is more of an investment and investing in good companies. But again, thats another topic.
You don't make 50K, well it doesn't matter. Every contribution helps. Just don't go out for a coffee one morning or don't get that 5th beer on your night out. You will feel inner peace knowing that you are aiding a cause of your choice each month. It's a great habit to have, and it takes little to no effort. Start by donating only 10 euros each month, if you can't do 10, do 5, if not do 1. Get your friends involved. Start to see how good you have it and feel good that you are giving a little back.
What do you think? Doable? How do you help the world become a better place? What charity do you believe in? Comment below!
If you want to discuss any topics further with me, don't be afraid to pop me an email! I love chatting with you all xxx
Last words...
This is your life, so, do what you want with it. Be happy and enjoy.
Thats the most important thing for me. That's how I live. Life is about happiness and good times. Donating to those less fortunate makes me happy. I hope it will make you happy too.
I love walking bare foot. Also sand. I love sand.
(PS. I have touched on a few topics that are mega important that I didn't get the chance to explore here... they will all come on the blog sooner or later. I don't want to make posts super long because people don't like reading long things. I also try to keep my lenguaje simple, because we are all lazy and don't like to put effort.)
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