El altruismo

Disclaimer: This post will probably come off as pretty cynical.

A few months ago, someone asked me if I thought I was altruistic. I had no idea what she meant, so instead of me answering the question, the conversation turned into a philosophical debate about why some people care about others and why some prefer to only worry about those with whom they have close relationships.  It then turned into a debate about whether or not altruism even exists.

Altruism: (n) The principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism) (Thanks to Dictionary.com)

Is it possible to do anything completely unselfishly?  After all, each person has a unique set of personal needs, including the need to feel important and to have a purpose.  And I would argue that most people who make their life revolve around service are gaining much more than they would ever be able to give.  I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, but it makes using the word "altruism" a little complicated, to say the least.

Currently, Extreme Makeover Home Edition is building a house for someone at the end of my street.  My street is now blocked off to traffic and is full to the brim with trailers and random equipment.  (I've never actually seen the show, so I'm not sure whether or not I've seen any famous TV personalities...)

I find myself frustrated by this presence.  I'm not really annoyed about having to prove I live on my street or about the random noise...after all, it's only for a week.  Instead, I feel like I am morally opposed to the show.  After a lot of reflection over the past few days, I think the reason I don't like it is because it gives the sense that the people involved are altruistic, whereas my impression is really that those involved are seeking external approval and fame.

From what I've gathered, the premise of the show is that a family is chosen based on some cute sob story.  They are then whisked away on vacation for a week while a team of 'round-the-clock volunteers knocks down their old house and builds a new one.  The family is then brought back to their house and the cameras are rolling to show the rest of the country their reaction.

I don't find anything wrong with helping people rebuild houses.  In fact, I've done it myself a few times, and they have been very transformative experiences.  I was never on TV for doing it, and instead I faced a lot of criticism for "wasting my break" and "helping people who didn't deserve it."  (Maybe this is where part of my frustration lies: after all, I bet people wouldn't have been so critical if I had been doing it on a reality TV show and if the family's story was a good tear-jerker.)

According to many different sources, in order to be selected for the show, the family needs to own their own land and needs to have a really compelling story (I guess my neighbor has a really sick child or something like that...)  We are in an extremely nice area of Savannah...there isn't a high risk of crime or really any form of visible poverty until you cross several blocks.  I guess this provides the various volunteers a way to feel good about themselves without being faced with questions about housing inequalities or problems in the education system or lack of access to health care...

I understand that what is being done for this family is nice.  It's like that stupid parable about the starfish (moral: even if we can't help everyone, a difference is being made for this one individual).  But I also think the show was created to make money, not to provide better housing.  After all, if they wanted to do that, they might think to build more affordable housing.

Also, I am kind of frustrated by the waste that is incorporated in building this one house.  They completely knocked down what appeared to be a solid brick structure.  The house was a million times nicer than the average in the United States.  I have no idea what the inside looked like, but I feel like it was unnecessary to knock it down in order to make it better.  And so far the new house is completely over-the-top.  I'm not trying to say that the family doesn't deserve an absolutely beautiful home...but when I see homeless guys lining up for lunch at a park about a mile away, I can't help but question peoples' priorities.  Plus, I don't understand why this house needs to go up in a week.  Have the producers of the show never heard the phrase "haste makes waste"?  I know they're using a lot of volunteers, but I'm convinced that 90% of them just stand around in blue t-shirts and white hard-hats so that it looks like there's a large amount of community involvement while the other 10% are under a lot of pressure to get things done.  I wish someone from the set would explain this all to me in a way that made sense, instead of just walking around acting like they own my neighborhood...

Who knows...maybe this show or lived experience in the neighborhood will inspire people to become more educated about different types of poverty and the reasons behind it...One can only hope...

Do I consider myself altruistic?  No.  I've learned and grown more by doing "service" that I can't even call it that seriously anymore.  But do I wish more people would join the good fight because they were seeking to understand the true meaning of solidarity (or something along those lines)?  Absolutely.

I'd love to hear what other people think on this topic...