I’m from Sweden. I’m middle class, living in a first world country, and I have 7000 euros in excess at the moment. The world is unfair and we have the power to give our overplus to those who need it – yet we don’t.
250 kr. 30 Euros. This amount, spent in one day in Sweden, could be food for weeks for others.
We have too much of everything. The world is unfair, yet we are all still so unwilling to give. From an outside perspective, it is ridiculous that some people have so much whereas others do not even have enough to stay ALIVE. Instead of donating, we spend money. On travelling. It IS selfish, yet humans are selfish creatures and we are all the main characters of our own lives. I guess that somehow makes it justified?
Travellers like to think of themselves as “nice people”.
People that travel like to think that it is OK – that at least it isn’t money spent on materialism. As much as I agree with this, spending money on your own holiday is still selfish. You are paying for YOUR OWN development as a person. YOUR horizons are being broadened. Travelling is good for you, but that is it. It is good for only you.
Yet despite this, we still save up ridiculous amounts of money for ourselves. Airplane tickets. Lodging. Activites. I have saved up 60 000 kr (7000 euros) for a HOLIDAY. This money could be used to provide food for starving families for years.
An afternoon snack for four at a friends house. So much food. Sweden, 2011
Why are we so keen to look out for ourselves?
The amount of money that I currently possess and am choosing to spend on myself makes me a bit sick to think about. Yet I can’t (won’t) give it all away to people who need it for surival. This is harsh, but it is true for anyone else who is saving money for travel, or clothes, or a car…
How can we possibly think its OK to spend money on things that make our lives a notch better when there are people who spend every day struggling to stay alive?
Do we simply turn a blind eye to what is going on? We all have the ability to even out the injustice that is taking place on this planet. Yet we choose not to. I feel guilty for not being strong enough to consider giving away everything I have – I do want everyone to be on the same level.
Late-night feasting after clubbing. I’m 2nd from the right. Magaluf 2012
But what can we do? How can we change things?
If, psychologically, it is impossible to give away the excess money we have, I think the only realistic solution is to take small steps. We all find it unrealistic to give away our savings. However, if we all put in a few coins in to donation boxes once a week then it will add up. We need to make a change, but gradually. I do feel sick with myself that I cannot give away everything I own – but as most of you reading this will understand – it is unreasonable for me to do so.
How do you feel about consumerism, excessiveness, and famine? How can we “save the world”?
Well, one positive thing about traveling, especially going to Asia, is that when you spend money there you’re spending it ‘on yourself’, but you’re also boosting the local economy, helping others. You do still have a good point, of course, but I don’t think you have to feel too guilty about spending money on yourself over there. :]
True, true. I guess you just have to think about it all in a better light. Thanks
I guess my situation is a little bit different, but since I’m not going back home for awhile, we’re donating almost everything to local charities. That makes me feel like I’m helping people, at the same time as doing something nice for myself!
That’s true. Getting rid of a lot of your possessions in order to go travelling is definitely liberating. Like you say, the best of both worlds!
Its a good life for some, if you can help someone in poverty on your travels, your mission is done.
Thanks, I guess I will just have to do whatever small things I can.
I wish to reiterate the economic benefits of travel. Travel Weekly recently reported the global impact of travel was over $6.6 trillion (over €5 trillion) last year. That is over 9% of the entire world’s GDP and an increase of 3% over the previous year. I believe you should look forward, guilt-free, to traveling to all of the places you wish to visit with the idea that you are contributing to the well-being of those local economies. They need your support and the support of other travelers like you, and they will appreciate you spending your tourist dollars in their countries.
Thanks for this comment. You seem to know a lot more about the economical aspect of things than I do, so I appreciate this piece of knowledge. I guess I will spend and spend there and do my part in that way.
The standard of living is indeed very high in Norway and even Sweeden, it is a very difficult, spiritually agonizing thing to give that up. I’m an American and where I come from is very overdeveloped, ugly, full of traffic and poor. It was with GREAT I mean GREAT fucking difficulty that I left the comfort and safety and BEAUTY of Norway to come back here to fulfill my life’s purpose, which is rather difficult and unglamorous. There is not a day I don’t think about it. It is hard, hard hard HARD. But you can try to help other by sticking up for workers rights like on the website http://www.globallabourrights.org/ and even taking trips to impoverished places to volunteer once in a while would not be a waste of money. Expand your horizons, expand your soul, but don’t do it for status, do it because you do want to connect with other people. The connections you make could be very life changing.