This school year, the homeless, destitute souls of Greenville have been getting hooked up. Now, the hard-to-finance addictions and nutritional needs of SMU area bums have a new principal investor: me.
Every time I run into these down and out street dwellers, I reach into my wallet and pull out $2, $3 or sometimes even $5 and place it in their eager hands. In addition to the sweet karma points I get for such charitable gestures, I firmly believe I am doing my part to promote a safer, less crime-ridden society.
Think about it; crime is a symptom of poverty. If everybody was a have and there were no have-nots, there would be less burglaries and assaults. So, if I give a bum a couple of bucks that, really, are just pocket change for an affluent SMU kid like myself, I am lessening the odds that that individual will mug somebody to get his or her food, drugs or alcohol.
As my generosity indirectly reduces the risk of socially destructive crimes, imagine the effect that attitude could create if more “haves” embraced charity and assisted the have-nots.
Furthermore, I believe giving alms to the poor directly benefits me, because the moral goodness of my action metaphysically ensures an appropriate reward. That’s right, though invisible, unheard and impossible to touch, I believe the world pulsates with an immeasurable moral energy that rewards good and punishes evil.
Think about it. Don’t most people you believe to be “good” live happy, productive lives? And by the same token, don’t most people you classify as “bad” endure terrible struggles? When I started thinking about it, that paradigm began to ring true.
The people I believe to be good and virtuous generally lead fulfilling, satisfying lives, not only because they have the peace of mind they are living right, but also because the metaphysical energies of existence reward their right actions with appropriate benefits.
Now, when examining the metaphysical interaction with evil, the framework is still viable. If the law is society’s moral executor, then statistically speaking, evil gets its due; how many criminals do you know that get away clean? The answer is very few, while the vast majority of people who perpetuate immoral acts eventually get hit back with the force equal to their transgressions. Even heavyweights like the Enron crooks got caught, tried and sentenced.
In this world, I perceive too much coldness and self-involvement. As a general example, when people communicate, it’s not to listen to the other person but, rather, to make a good impression and bring attention to their strengths.
What people need to realize is that by caring and listening, they not only make that other person feel better, they make a good impression and reveal their strength in the process. In short, people need to wake up and discover the truth that investing in the well-being of other humans is an excellent way to ensure the well-being of the self. Ever since I started caring more about others, my life has gotten a lot better.
Tim Lloyd is an English major. He can be reached at [email protected].
