This discussion is disturbing. I've never seen people get so vicious as when the topic of Bill Gates and charity comes up. The man apologizes for his success by giving more money away than nearly any other individual on Earth, and a million voices cry at once that it's not enough. What would be enough? Another billion? Ten billion? Everything?
That's it, isn't it? If you really believe that the essence of morality means always putting others before yourself, and you apply that principle consistently, then it can't ever be enough -- you could always give more.
When your money is gone, you could always give your time and your effort. When you don't have an hour left in the day, you could always give any posession of any worth that you might have. When you have nothing left in the world, you could always give your food, water, and shelter.
Keep practicing that. Keep giving away your money, for the sake of the poor; keep giving away your time, for the sake of those who need your help; keep giving away your possessions, for the sake of those who are "not fortunate enough"; keep giving up goals, discovery, happiness, enjoyment, love, and beauty, so that others may have them. Give away all that you have and all that you are, because others come first. Sacrifice yourself like an animal for them, ask them to drink your blood and eat your body -- or suffer the consequence of knowing that "it's not enough." It never is enough. Until you're dead.
Apply the principle of altruism consistently, follow it to its logical conclusion, and this is the result. There's no reason to stop at any point -- believe in the basic idea and you have no reason not to go to this extreme. No compromise is possible. That is the ugly truth.
Unless, of course, achievement and happiness really are important to you. Unless you really do want a life of your own, and don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to help others as well, as fellow travelers in life met with genuine goodwill. If this is the way you want to live, then you must put yourself first at all times and in all things. You must derive your sense of moral satisfaction from your ability to make real what should be -- first in yourself, and by extension in the world around you. And you must protect what you create. Never let any man claim anything of yours by right, it is yours to give only if you choose to do so. Let your sense of right and wrong be the method by which you make your personal, life-altering decisions. Don't give up on who you are and what you want.
Give help to those who deserve it. Give nothing to those that don't.
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Property rights do not disappear as soon as you can do without the revenue.
That's it, isn't it? If you really believe that the essence of morality means always putting others before yourself, and you apply that principle consistently, then it can't ever be enough -- you could always give more.
When your money is gone, you could always give your time and your effort. When you don't have an hour left in the day, you could always give any posession of any worth that you might have. When you have nothing left in the world, you could always give your food, water, and shelter.
Keep practicing that. Keep giving away your money, for the sake of the poor; keep giving away your time, for the sake of those who need your help; keep giving away your possessions, for the sake of those who are "not fortunate enough"; keep giving up goals, discovery, happiness, enjoyment, love, and beauty, so that others may have them. Give away all that you have and all that you are, because others come first. Sacrifice yourself like an animal for them, ask them to drink your blood and eat your body -- or suffer the consequence of knowing that "it's not enough." It never is enough. Until you're dead.
Apply the principle of altruism consistently, follow it to its logical conclusion, and this is the result. There's no reason to stop at any point -- believe in the basic idea and you have no reason not to go to this extreme. No compromise is possible. That is the ugly truth.
Unless, of course, achievement and happiness really are important to you. Unless you really do want a life of your own, and don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to help others as well, as fellow travelers in life met with genuine goodwill. If this is the way you want to live, then you must put yourself first at all times and in all things. You must derive your sense of moral satisfaction from your ability to make real what should be -- first in yourself, and by extension in the world around you. And you must protect what you create. Never let any man claim anything of yours by right, it is yours to give only if you choose to do so. Let your sense of right and wrong be the method by which you make your personal, life-altering decisions. Don't give up on who you are and what you want.
Give help to those who deserve it. Give nothing to those that don't.