Charity for our feelings of well being – Lithuanian team essay

„Charity for our feelings of well being“ – Lithuanian team essay

Charity is an important part of a modern and humane society. It makes possible for people, who are dealing with various hard times in their life, to carry on, to live and hope for a new and brighter day. For some of us, we do admit, charity represents the brotherhood that connects every person, be they of another race, sex, social situation, ethnicity, religion, or age.

Charity and charitable acts are as a sign or a symbol. Like the child who for the first time prepares her own meal or irons her own clothes, so does charity show that the country has matured to a level where wealth doesn‘t play the most important role in the lives of its people. Charity is a thundering declaration to the world that the country cares for every member of its community. It shows the responsibility, compassion, understanding and love that not only should connect but must connect every person in a city, country, the world.

Selfless acts are the starters of social change. By freely donating excess money a person can grow as a human-being. Turning his egocentrism off even for a moment and seeing the world as it really is – a place in which we all are brothers and sister – he looks upon the world a changed man. His understanding of the world and of himself transforms from „I“ to „We“.  Yet no man can make him do that. Charity and the understanding that it brings has to be chosen, performed and repeated by a persons own free will. As someone once said, “Charity, if you have the means, is a personal choice, but charity which is expected or compelled is simply a polite word for slavery.”

By giving away that what you own, you become richer in that who you are. We can see this magnificent change in all the eyes of people, who‘s lives are strongly interconnected with charity. The smiles on their faces when they give and thus help someone in need, the great feeling of easiness that one gets by seeing someone else happy because of their actions and all other emotions stemming from charity are the strongest and immovable proof that it is worth doing.

Nevertheless, it has to be mentioned, that some social problems can spring from charity. The world is seeing more and more instances when people who get charity, become dependent on it. They not only believe that they are privileged and thus should get charity, but they also think that they have the right to criticize various charitable organizations for, for example, the small amounts of food, handed to them, or the lack of various goods in their food packages. Yet, it has to be admitted that these instances are only a few examples that portray the possible negative side effects of charity.

Despite the fact that only 4% of Lithuanians give money to charities, we believe and work for a future where this number will increase twenty or more times. The time will surely come, when every person, every man, woman and child will see that caring and helping others is not a „second-hand“ concern. The future holds a promise of a world united and working towards the happiness of every human being. We believe that with such virtues in mind, Lithuania will soon become the embodiment of these ideas.

„Charity is our choice“