Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for March 28, 2010
March 27, 2010
March 29, 2010
Transcript:
Rat says, "I, Rat Emeritus, have written out the mathematics of doing good for your fellow man." Goat says, "What are you talking about?" Rat says, "I'll show you? see, I start with the simple principle that giving to others produces good." Rat says, "But then I have to account for the sloth corollary." Rat says, "And the happiness principle." Rat says, "And the futility algorithm." Rat says, "Then I add it all up, carry the 3 divide by 2, and arrive at my grand theorem of how one should conduct oneself." Goat says, "Which is what?" Sign says, "Do nothing." Goat says, "Nothing. How obvious." Rat says, "Well... not really nothing. You can sit around and drink beer."
What a sad way to look at life. His premises are almost all flawed as well. For instance…
- giving to others → makes them lazy. This is not true for the majority of humanity. A good majority of people will not become lazy because you decide to help them out. that only happens if your “help” becomes their way of sustaining themselves. It also depends on how and what you give.- I have money = I am happy. This one is so obviously ridiculous that it doesn’t need much rebuttal. Just look at almost any celebrity you wish and you’ll find just how untrue that statement is.- I give away money = I am sad. Actually, studies have shown that people who regularly give to others feel better about themselves. It’s the people who keep all their money to themselves that end up sad and alone.- World’s problems = large / My contribution = drop in bucket. Yes the world’s problems are large, but the assumption made here is that nothing you do matters. The interesting thing about a full bucket of water is that the flow of water always starts with just one drop. Others follow. It works the same with people. Someone has to be the first drop.While doing nothing is always your choice to make, it does not make sense to tell other people that what they do is hopeless. Unless, of course, your trying to demoralize everyone you know. Just imagine for a moment what the world would be like if no one ever became the first “drop in the bucket” for any cause? Civil rights? Womans right? Freedom of slaves? Someone had to be the first. Who is to say that poverty can’t be next?