Hedonistic Activism
Posted on April 9, 2008
Filed Under Intern Blog |
My friend/neighbor came over the other day to bring back my earring that I lost in his yard (I’m pretty cool). He asked what I was doing that night.
“I’m going to this presentation about Darfur for my journalism class. It should be really interesting.”
“Oh, that’s cool. And then afterwards you can feel all good about yourself for caring about these people.”
I paused - then realized the irony.
Sometimes, I feel like I participate in hedonistic activism. I do just enough so that I can appease my own conscience or feel like I’ve done something productive and selfless. But is doing something nice for someone else really selfless if you do it just so YOU feel better? Even if someone else benefits, isn’t that still selfish?
I was driving home from class the other day and decided to swing through Taco Bell’s drive-thru for lunch. I saw a homeless man sitting on the corner by the Bell, in typical homeless person fashion: ratty clothes, sad face and sign offering to work for food.
I ordered two tacos and gave one to him.
“Thank you,” the man said gratefully, accepting my offer of temporary fulfillment.
But I didn’t feel better. In fact, I hated myself for it. I didn’t do it because I wanted to help him as much as I did it because I hated the way he made me feel when I saw him.
Instead of doing something that would really impact him, I did just enough to be able to pat myself on the back and say, “good job, you gave a homeless man some lunch.”
I have a “Save Darfur” sticker on the back of my car, so I certainly look like a good little social justice advocate; but what have I ever DONE for the people of Darfur? I’ve never been there, I’ve never encouraged President Bush or the U.N. secretary-general to push for peace in Sudan. The most I’ve done is tell my friends that they should care. But how much does caring do? How far does raw compassion go?
We were watching Sahara the other night (awful movie, 411), and, mostly because I’m too ADD to like movies, I said, “unrest in Africa is too politically current to be entertaining.” (I like to talk like that around my friends – I don’t really know how I have any.)
My friend shot back, “There’s always political unrest in Africa. I love how everyone’s all Darfur, Darfur, Darfur – because that’s the trendy thing to do. Half of them don’t even know where Darfur is.”
Another friend and I were sprawled out on her bed the other day, aimlessly flipping through channels on the TV. She landed on a wedding show about bridezillas who spend exorbitant amounts of cash on their dream wedding. We’re talking millions of dollars on ridiculous venues, superfluous food and drinks and pricey entertainment.
“How can you justify spending millions of dollars on one day when people all over the world don’t even have clean water?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It’s their money – they can pretty much do whatever they want.”
It’s true that affluent people don’t have an obligation to do anything. In fact, they can spend every penny on themselves, if their conscience allows; and it’s easy to point fingers at people who buy $1,000-dollar handbags and call it extraneous. But, on a smaller scale, we all do it every day. Did I NEED to spend $15 on dinner the other night? I could have made Ramen noodles for 15 cents; the end result is the same.
We are a generation living in a society of excess. Our money gives us a feeling of (probably false) security. Apathy sets in when we never have to worry about where our next meal or paycheck is coming from. We don’t feel the reality of struggles when we have none of our own; and we don’t sense the frailty of life when ours are so thoroughly insulated.
I would venture to guess I’m not alone in my struggle. Although people all over the world are doing amazing things with their time and efforts, too many of us (myself included) aren’t doing nearly enough.
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16 Responses to “Hedonistic Activism”
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Good post.
Along the same lines - from Brant Hansen’s blog today:
http://branthansen.typepad.com/letters_from_kamp_krusty/2008/04/nytimes-post.html
“It’s true that affluent people don’t have an obligation to do anything.”
I disagree, depending upon whom those affluent people serve. In the world’s system, they don’t serve anybody but themselves (and often more truly, they serve their fortune, since their heart and security is wrapped up in it). But if we are Christians, God commands us to give to the poor. If we are truly in tune with His heart, we will DO something, GIVE something, GO somewhere…not out of obligation so much as it is out of oneness with His heart.
I hope that makes sense. I have a feeling it was part of what you were saying (maybe I missed it).
I fully understand your struggle. I too have had moments where I only did something to appease myself or get rid of a nagging feeling. But then there are the times I have given out of humility, genuine compassion and a right heart, and it becomes something more beautiful (and even more humbling) than I could have wrought on my own.
Thanks so much for sharing. I enjoyed this post.
-Rachel
Wow..that really hit home.
Thanks for sharing
[…] know, Tuesday night was the showing of American Idol Gives Back — an overall attempt for hedonistic activism, but nonetheless a noble cause. I had only watched part of it, but it mostly consisted of the […]
Very insightful, painfully honest. I love it.
You’re absolutely right. What GOOD are we actually doing? If I pass along my views and passions concerning Darfur, along with the rest of the pain and suffering in the world, how is that helping them? How is that making a difference? We are called to DO GOOD, to take action, to put ourselves out there. Thank you for reminding us!
Kayla! You’re so flippin amazing at writing! You put the best words in place all together and make a beautiful paragraph. You’re going to do great in this world and God is blessing you so much. When people read this they remember what they’re really here for, a relationship with God, and serving your fellow man. love ya lots!
-Kaycie
Very excellent and powerful article.
Sure did hit home here.
Left me with a whole lot to go
talk with HIM about.
Thank you.
This was a good post.
I can’t believe how organizations in today’s society give us these sob story images on TV and on ads in order to convict us. If we are truly convicted, it would be from God’s doing, not by from some fly-by ad.
Very insightful! Painfully true. You must not be so hard on yourself. On a microcosmic scale, feeding that homeless man satiated the growling in his belly, if only for a few hours. Once while in New York city I fed a homeless man and this seemed to bother my friend. When I asked him why he said, “I’d rather teach a man how to fish, than to give him a single fish”. His words are ideal, and unfortunately the macrocosmic machine squeezes and drains idealistic thinking in such a manner that they hardly amount to more than words. In essence, the machine has grown far too large for far too long, and there is no way to undo what has sadly been done. It is a monumental problem that requires a monumental solution—beyond the means of man. Personally this lends credence to my faith as a Christian. The left will view this as delegation of responsibility, or fanatical delusion, but I simply believe that it will take no less than the PROMISED return of our Lord and SAVIOR Jesus Christ to put right all that we have shamefully, and collectively put WRONG in this world! In the meantime, follow what your heart tells you to do and love one another as Christ loves us all! Obviously and unfortunately this is easier said than done!
I have always had this on my conscious. It has made me rethink my actions instead of my feelings on certain situations.
You know how much you can touch others by acting on it with sincerity. You hit home.
I love you endlessly =]
I’m literally 2 hours from a viewing of a “Save Darfur” film. I’ve seen the chalkings for the viewing on my campus sidewalks and have been thinking the same thing you posted. And there’s an element of “well at least I realize that caring isn’t enough” which somehow makes the fact that I’m not actually doing anything seem softer. Except not much. Vicious circle. Main goal - get out and do something.
The fact is you bought a hungry man a taco.
Better to do something then nothing.
Who cares about the motive as long as things are getting done?
I don’t.
I halfway agree and halfway disagree with what you wrote.
1. Don’t let someone who is jaded with life, or with society talk down to you because you want to learn about what is happening in the world. The fact that you held open ears to Darfur is more than most people have done.
2. Just because its the “cool” thing to do–Darfur–don’t let people speak down about it. Its a very serious issue. Would you shrug off yr favorite band because everyone started listening to them? If you did, you probably weren’t a very good fan anyway.
3. You gave a taco to him. Think about it this way–probably 50 other cars passed him by and didn’t even think twice about him.
4. I think at a certain point if you look at what you could be doing it will make you sick. At what point are you supposed to live your own life? Is it wrong to live your own life? To fulfill what was given to you? I’m not saying to turn your back on the world, but do what is within your means. Giving a taco to that homeless man was within your means that day. Going to a meeting about Darfur is within your means. Maybe give up that $15 dinner for a donation to a local charity or another effort you feel strong about.
I think its natural to feel like its an exploitation rather than an overall goal towards better life. Don’t let it get you down! Do what is within yr means!
Christ tells me to love others as myself. He made it a commandment, on par with not killing people and staying true to my wife. I say I care about others, but I don’t. Not really. Near my house there’s an Interstate overpass under which a man sleeps. I pass by his makeshift bed every day and do nothing. I give a little cash to charity–my wife hopped online during American Idol recently and gave our credit card number to the tune of $20, supposedly to help feed African children–and there’s this little girl’s picture on our fridge who lives in El Salvador; we give her a little money too, but not very much. A Christian radio station gets a few bucks. Our church does, too. But that’s it. That’s all. I smile, act like a good follower of Jesus, tell co-workers about Him and hope, when I face Him in a few years, that He conveniently forgets how callous I was with the life He gave me.
There’s a story in the Bible. It’s kinda famous. A rich dude comes to Jesus and wants to know what He can do to make it to Heaven. Jesus tells him to give everything he has to the poor and follow Him. That’s it. No qualifiers. No disclaimers. Just that simple. And the man couldn’t do it.
What if Jesus meant what He said? What if He means what He says right now?
‘If any man would be my disciple, He must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.’ That’s Jesus. That’s what He said. That’s what He meant. That’s what He means. I say I want to be His disciple. I say that I am. But do I really? Am I really? Oh, I’m redeemed, saved, sanctified…whatever you want to call it.
But am I His disciple? Or am I just pretending to be?
Thanks for your candor. It hit home.
I’ve definitely jumped on the “Let’s save the kids in Africa!” bandwagon. I mean, I’m only fifteen, so going to Africa right now is not really an option. I don’t have the money…or courage. I would love to tell you that I want to go to Africa and reach out to those children my friends and I claim to want to save, but I’m not doing anything. I could be donating what money I do have to the organizations set up to send relief to war-stricken countries, but I don’t do it.
And another thing that bothers me is that people are so concerned with helping people in other countries that need it, when really you could just take a look around your hometown and see people that really need the extra help.
Thanks for writing this thought-provoking article. It made me step back and look at things a little differently than I have in the past.
The issue of doing something that is “right” because it makes us feel good is an debate that I’ve had before with some friends. It’s sometimes tough to know the difference between,”Feeling good because I’ve done right,” and “Doing right so that I feel good.” And I’m sure at times there can be a selfish motive that is involved, a motive that needs to be kept in check.
But something to think about. Is this “good” feeling really a bad thing? Maybe this feeling is rooted in doing actions similar to that which Christ may have done. Maybe it’s meant to encourage us to act compassionately. Maybe God designed us so that we are more alive and complete when we help the world around us and help advance His kingdom.
One final thing to think about. Could this guilt, despite acting compassionately, actually be coming from the enemy? Perhaps he is trying to discourage you from feeding the poor with this guilt. The danger then becomes that you don’t do it at all.
Anyways, just a few thoughts.