I saw something that said, “Character is how you treat those that can do nothing for you.”
I completely disagree. If I see some piece of shit homeless guy on the side of the street, what’s the point? If I try and do something for him, he isn’t going to change. If he was going to change, then he wouldn’t be dirty, smelly, and itching himself. It may sound like an assholish thing to say, but how many people do you know that are hard working, completely bust their ass, and have an undying desire to be successful that are homeless, jobless, or a bum? Oh, that’s right, none.
Instead, the quote should say, “Character is how you treat those that you can do something for.”
I think the quote refers more to treating someone like that with kindness and understanding, rather than contempt and disdain. It’s not suggesting that you DO anything for the person, but that you treat them like a human being.
On a similar note, the character quote I’ve always remembered is, “Character is how you behave when no one is watching.”
-Luke
Yeah, but that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
My point is that being kind or “doing something” for the stereotypical beggar isn’t going to accomplish anything. I, of course, won’t be mean to them. Unless you count ignoring them as being mean, but I don’t consider it mean since they’ve ignored themselves for years.
What makes you so sure that stereotypical beggar isn’t mentally ill, and that “doing something” isn’t going to accomplish anything? Where do you think your brother would be without a loving family?
FUCK YES @ THIS ENTIRE POST.
I’ve been saying for quite a while, how can you expect me to give a fuck about someone who doesn’t give a fuck about them self?
Totally agree. Change comes from within. By a cognitive decision to stop one action and start another.
I don’t want to start too much, but it’s estimated a third of all homeless individuals have a serious mental illness, as in, they can’t operate in society without medical supervision and prescription drugs (http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/consequences/homeless-mentally-ill.html).
Also, for someone who supports the military as you do, this is a strange stance to take. The VA did what was considered “most authoritative analysis of homelessness among military veterans,” in 2010, and came to the conclusion that 1 in 6 homeless individuals are veterans (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/01/report-finds-veterans-make-high-number-homeless/).
So maybe the coins in your pocket won’t do the guy any good, but there’s a good chance he’s not just some lazy asshole either.
We can always make a change in someone life. We might just never see it. That also does not mean we give anyone a handout. Means we install and idea that being a bum is disgusting, just like we have made smoking cigarettes a vile thing.