I find this very usefully as a new starting point. I have struggled in the past with allowing myself to book a holiday and feel good about it, buy a drink at a bar etc because I felt guilty about having thee nice experiences when some people do not have basic necessities or the support they need.
I feel I have disconnected from this to some extent/somehow, but I want to get to a place where I can feel happy and also feel like I am helping others to the best of my ability and means.
However, I always have a voice telling me 'I can do more'. For example, I have savings.... how much savings do I really 'need' right now... it is hard not to feel selfish... and hard to put a number on how much I should keep and how much I should donate to help others.
Not buying a new boardgames will make me sad, because I wanted to invite friends round and play together... but am I miserable...? probably not... can I justify it? I don't know.
this is a struggle I have had- feeling guilt for holidays, buying new clothes, spending money on a drink at a bar. I feel I have become more disengaged from this. But I want to engage with this feeling and come to a happy 'or cheerful' agreement within myself that allow me to enjoy things in life too. There is always MORE we can do. I have savings, and I couldn't really say how much savings I 'need'. therefore I don't know how much I could be donating too others. It is hard to draw the line because so much is unknown about the future.
I totally agree with you about the issue of abstract problems. Many issues are so nebulous and far-reaching that it is so difficult to give a clear overview of the issue, the implications etc. By the time climate change is a concrete threat to the majority of people, it will be too late. There is a lot of focus on short-term rewards, particularly in government but also with human's desires, that make dealing with these problems in an effective way very difficult. I spent a few years in China, and although it is very economically capitalist, the society has a communist mindset still and the government also has a lot of power to enact laws that the public don't like. Now I am not saying this is always a good thing, but idealistically speaking, when you have a good leader, who can think more long-term because they do not rely on the whims of people and being popular to those who are not looking at the bigger picture, this can be a good thing. It can help get helpful policies and initiatives through to tackle more abstract problems!
I find this very usefully as a new starting point. I have struggled in the past with allowing myself to book a holiday and feel good about it, buy a drink at a bar etc because I felt guilty about having thee nice experiences when some people do not have basic necessities or the support they need.
I feel I have disconnected from this to some extent/somehow, but I want to get to a place where I can feel happy and also feel like I am helping others to the best of my ability and means.
However, I always have a voice telling me 'I can do more'. For example, I have savings.... how much savings do I really 'need' right now... it is hard not to feel selfish... and hard to put a number on how much I should keep and how much I should donate to help others.
Not buying a new boardgames will make me sad, because I wanted to invite friends round and play together... but am I miserable...? probably not... can I justify it? I don't know.
this is a struggle I have had- feeling guilt for holidays, buying new clothes, spending money on a drink at a bar. I feel I have become more disengaged from this. But I want to engage with this feeling and come to a happy 'or cheerful' agreement within myself that allow me to enjoy things in life too. There is always MORE we can do. I have savings, and I couldn't really say how much savings I 'need'. therefore I don't know how much I could be donating too others. It is hard to draw the line because so much is unknown about the future.
I totally agree with you about the issue of abstract problems. Many issues are so nebulous and far-reaching that it is so difficult to give a clear overview of the issue, the implications etc. By the time climate change is a concrete threat to the majority of people, it will be too late. There is a lot of focus on short-term rewards, particularly in government but also with human's desires, that make dealing with these problems in an effective way very difficult. I spent a few years in China, and although it is very economically capitalist, the society has a communist mindset still and the government also has a lot of power to enact laws that the public don't like. Now I am not saying this is always a good thing, but idealistically speaking, when you have a good leader, who can think more long-term because they do not rely on the whims of people and being popular to those who are not looking at the bigger picture, this can be a good thing. It can help get helpful policies and initiatives through to tackle more abstract problems!