A stoplight. You’re in your car, face down, as the homeless man passes you by. So long as you can ignore him, you can keep your conscience clear. Well, ignore him, and then create the reasons inside your mind that you believe best justify your actions. “Why should I give him money? It will just go to drugs, alcohol, or any number of other addictions.” “It isn’t my fault that he is where he is, it is the result of his own decisions, circumstances, or any other number of other reasons.” But the truth is, this is you merely reasoning your way out of a situation in which you could have truly helped someone else. Maybe not in the sense that society promotes, where in order to significantly help anyone you must give more than you can afford. Instead, this is a scenario where you could have improved the quality of life of your fellow man, even if it were for only a brief amount of time. But you’ve reasoned your way out of it, convincing yourself that either he doesn’t deserve the money or you will do more with it than he  would. And this is the line of reasoning that has become ever more prevalent in today’s society. The type of reasoning that says giving is immoral. You worked hard for your money, why should you have to give it to someone else, no matter their circumstances. You have been programmed with these cynical ideas that create in you a selfish and constantly skeptical human being. A human being that can’t possibly understand that not every other human being in need is actually just a wolf in sheep’s clothing attempting to steal your every last dime.

Now, my goal isn’t to encourage you to part ways with every cent that you have. Instead, it is to urge you to look past your negative views and see that there are many in this society who could genuinely use your help. America, as a whole, is a giving nation. We provide much needed aid to multiple countries around the world. And yet we look upon providing aid to our fellow citizens with skepticism, ignoring their plights, all the while convincing ourselves that what we’re doing is both right and moral. It seems that negative rhetoric and clouded reasoning have effectively shattered our individual moral codes, and we, as individuals, have no desire to pick up the pieces.