Quote Originally Posted by Tybee View Post
It's funny that the term "do-gooders" becomes an insult.

When aren't we all interesting in doing good?
I agree--it reminds me of the Fountainhead where Rand casts the ambitious, self-serving people as gods and the people in the helping professions as weak and banal. I hated that caricaturization. Then again, I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand.

I think your question is a highly philosophical one that belongs on the Spirituality forum. I don't have any answers, except like all good things, there is sometimes another side to a good thing. In IL's case, I think she's seen people who may have some ulterior motives for "doing good"--namely, seeing themselves as do-gooders. I remember one time our church had a gift-giving campaign for a couple of the needy families in town. So after everything was donated and wrapped, 3-4 people from the congregation went to present the gifts to the families.

I remember that they came back miffed because one of the families "didn't even say thank you!" So, is that why they did it? For the gratitude of people who are ashamed that they can't provide gifts for their own family? They probably felt gratitude, but what a position to be in as a parent, having a parade of church people march up to your door acting like Santa Claus pointing out your inadequacies.

When I think of "charity" I think of something organic--like the way Terry approaches it. To go spiritual on it, my understanding of Jesus is that when people approached him and asked for help, he helped. Otherwise he just led by example.

Yes, we are all trying to do good. Maybe we should just BE good.