Helen Lee Schifter has written extensively about the subject of readjusting our priorities in the interest of contributing to the public interest, in a way that is both meaningful and effective. This is a subject and topic that deserves a lot more substantial coverage by the media and interest on the part of our lawmakers than it is receiving until the present. We are too often motivated by the ends as opposed to the means; and we are too often driven by profit and ask ourselves the question of “what is in it for me?” Why instead don’t we consider engaging in certain meaningful activities in the interest of contributing to society writ-large? This would be a wonderful opportunity, especially when the world is hurting so much; as it is presently, due to the health and economic challenges that the Coronavirus pandemic have presented to governments and countries around the world.
Helen Lee Schifter believes very passionately about this idea and genuinely and sincerely feels that real and substantive change can come about over time, and in due course. This faith and confidence is rooted in the following rationale – we as Americans are the most generous and kind people on the planet. If you look through reports on philanthropic giving for instance, it has consistently been documented and demonstrated and proven, that the American people are most generous in their giving habits, with their contributions to various charities and institutions.
Then why is there such a fixation on achieving the ends and being motivated by materialistic pursuits and motives? Profit should certainly be a variable in any calculus in a commercial setting – but how about more wholesome variables that also can be accounted for. For example, the ability and willingness to do good. The rewarding feeling and sensation that one feels after accomplishing a noble task is irreplaceable. There is simply no substitute for it , whatsoever.
Yet, part of this can harken back to the way we raise our families, due to the intense drive we instill in our society’s children about their professional development and career pursuits. Of course, this is important and should not at all be deemphasized or belittled. But are we doing so at the expense of instilling values in them such as the need to engage in acts of generosity that don’t involve profit or career enhancement and development? This is a worthwhile quandary to consider. On one hand we must continue encouraging and motivating our nation’s youth to pursue their dreams in a professional and career context; but we must also instill in them the value, importance and significance of building on advocacy and activism that is rooted in goodness, and nobility.
Generosity is something that can indeed be taught, contrary to popular wisdom and assumptions that are routinely made by many. But we must begin introducing our children to the concept of generosity from a young age to ensure it is properly internalized by them and ingrained in their systems. It must be something they are educated of the value of, from a very young age. Only in this fashion will they be able to blossom and flourish and become folks with positive ideals and values of generosity and altruism.
Helen Lee Schifter shares these ideals and values through her writing, in a way to inspire the next generation of writers and those engaged in other professional pursuits to follow her lead. The need for more generosity in as dark a world as the one we presently find ourselves in, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, is extraordinary. Let us band together and unite in this quest to foster generosity among all those in society. There is nothing wrong with challenging the status quo and even challenging conformity. In fact, it can prove all the more rewarding that way. This is an integral part of any proper child’s upbringing. Let us not forget what this country was ultimately built on. Generosity and unity of purpose is the name of the game.