I've seen the same when visiting Brazil. It's more common to give the homeless food than money. Pai would go out to give someone food and a "fica com Deus" pretty regularly.
Not sure if London is such a great example, lot's of organized groups just begging for money as income in those "developed" urban city centers.
The same also exist in Germany and can lead to quite weird situations.
One time a bigger man, with a cane and a somewhat shabby suit, approached me asking for money so he could buy food for his children.
I offered him to buy food, went with him to a nearby bakery, let them pack up a whole bag of breads and other stuff, ask him how many children he has got as I wanted to buy them pastries.
He didn't reply at all, he just kept insisting he needs money, now for... milk.
I gave him a bag worth 20€ of bakery stuff and just went my way, as he kept insisting he needs money on-top of that.
On the opposite end of that: I'm on the subway platform and see a obviously homeless man going trough the trashcans for bottles with deposit on them, pulling a small cart behind him with all his belongings.
I had a bag with 2 chocolate donuts on me, after eating most of them, I gave him those two donuts and he lightened up like the sun and was super thankful, over donuts worth 2€..
Why is this downvoted? I've only been to London once, but I can certainly speak to identical behavior from panhandlers at many intersections in central NC, USA. They'll hold signs pleading all sorts of sad stories, typically asking for finances for food. Sometimes faking limps or missing appendices (one time I could clearly notice the guys leg tucked up inside his jeans...)
If you offer to buy them a big meal at the restaurant down the street, they'll cuss you out and harass you. Then promptly heckle the car behind you for cash.
They want cold cash for drugs, nothing more or less. Many of these folks run it like a job, panhandling for 4-8 hours a day, then hopping in their car and returning to their shared living situation to shoot/snort/smoke up. It's a racket than can easily generate more income than an honest hourly job around here.
It's really quite sad, because amongst them are some folks who seriously need help, and would be nothing less than extremely thankful for any food or clothing provided to them. Sadly, the druggie gremlins are in the majority, so I don't give anything to anyone. Lock the doors and look straight ahead. I keep my hand near my firearm too, because I've had them vigorously pull my car doors before.
Why are humans special? As a species, we kill other living beings for our sustenance. I don’t think empathy is a human universal.
Or is it?
Almost two decades ago, when AI was still conversational fun rather than raging startups on steroids harvesting data, discussions in forums I used to frequent always used to circle around empathy, humans and AI.
Some questions to ask:
1. Would artificial intelligence have empathy?
2. Why did we evolve to cultivate empathy?
3. If AI developed empathy, would they have to possess emotions as well?
4. If AI develops empathy and emotion, how far away from sentience are these artificial beings we have created?
5. And now we will have to look at the ethics of ‘owning’ AI. A being..artificial or otherwise..that is capable of showing empathy and has emotions, is it akin to enslaving them?
And just like that, we can catapult ourselves into P.K.Dick’s world.
There is homeless and homeless. In my country (France) some are in the street as a lifestyle choice, or are only pretending being in need to leech on charity. Those people generally refuse food and take offense if you offer some. On the other hand, there are people who are genuinly suffering, hungry who will gladly take food when offered. The trick is too distinguish between the two (the latter are in fact, quite rare, I'd rate really struggling beggars are less than 10%). Looking them in the eyes is the way to spot them, people who will accept food have a different gaze and their suffering is readable on their face.
Partly this. When I lived in St. Louis I lived right next to a homeless shelter. I'd hang out with some while waiting for steet food to be cooked (the dudes sleeping on the step to my condo). I often would offer them food. They usually turned me down. I asked one and the reason was that if they had food that gave them the runs they were in deep trouble. So most of them preferred very regular meals even if they were crappy cafeteria like food from the shelter as that food was not going to mess with their digestive.
In India, my grandparents used to set up a make shift stall every Friday(or a day chosen monthly to honor ancestors) and take cooked food to distribute to anyone who is hungry.
Everyone did this..so every community will always have free food available everyday at temples or outside places of worship.
It doesn’t matter if you are a beggar or a devotee who has come to the temple to offer prayers. It is for anyone who is hungry. To feed the hungry shouldn’t be on the basis of whether they ‘deserve it or not’.
However, the principle was always that ‘I am here with food. Please take what you want.’ The offer is an out stretched hand but the one who wants it must ask. It is not the duty of the giver to offer unsolicited food or drink or help.
I think charity and generosity is different from cultivating and preserving a Saviour Complex.
Meanwhile..here in America, children can’t open a lemonade stand without a permit. Otoh, everyone pays hefty taxes as a form of mandatory charity. So there’s that..
> To feed the hungry shouldn’t be on the basis of whether they ‘deserve it or not’.
But that wasn't my point, it's not about "who's deserving of what". It's about dying of thirst in the desert and turning down somebody offering you water because you insist on getting Gatorade instead.
At that point it's not about "deserving" anymore but it's very much entitlement. It also means whoever is dying of thirst there either doesn't have their priorities right or they ain't actually dying of thirst if they can still be so picky to demand Gatorade over water.
Or to apply it to your example of food being handed out at temples: Imagine if somebody turned down all that food on offer, while insisting that they get exactly the dish they want like in an à la carte restaurant.
Don't you think that would come across as tone-deaf and entitled?
I agree. That’s why my rule is to give only when asked and only if it’s within my ability..otherwise it’s just a savior complex.
And people turn down food all the time. It means they can go without food for another day! Good for them! There are others who need what is on offer. I try to focus on my ability rather than their need. It’s 7.5+ billion people..Can’t help everyone!
Or maybe just reaching out a helping hand to fellow human being that's apparently in need? If that leads to everybody involved being even slightly better off, why should that be considered some kind of negative complex?
On that front, human pride and societal norms can be very weird beasts: Way too many people who would really need the help of somebody else, often are either too proud or too scared to actually ask for that helping hand. Too hard-coded is the fear of appearing vulnerable/embarrassed, particularly in-front of strangers.
At least that's something I've noticed in Western societies, where begging (which is also a form of asking) is often considered some kind of scam and with demands to never support it by actually giving anything.
Sure. Everyone should do that which feels right to them. There is no universal rule.
I was just sharing why my lived experience makes me less susceptible to knee jerk automatic charity that relies on reading outward signaling. Everyone is different.
