What I meant is.. Say, a regular rickshaw ride costs 30 rupees. If a rickshaw driver asks for 50 rupees (for the same starting and ending points), one may totally disagrees and walks away from it. He/she probably says, "It's about what's fair." But I really think, it's 1.5 US dollars! Let it go for the man who rides a rickshaw for a living. Anyway, that's about the amount of 1-2 meals in Bangalore, for a typical employee of the company I work for. Moreover, we'd gladly spend 150 rupees or more for a kurta. We should not be burdened to give 20 extra rupees for the driver who takes us home, shouldn't we?
Not everything is related to sharing with those who have less. Another example is buying goodies at a small shop/street vendor. These things are usually already cheap. A toy from a street vendor is sold for 15 yuan, but I'd bargain hard for 10 yuan. 5 bucks is really just 1 US dollar. I don't even think about buying a portion of dumplings for 15 yuan, or a cup of latte for 30 yuan. Those are things I eat/drink once and have no more. But a 15 yuan toy can still be a meaningful gift for someone, and a meal for the seller that day.
On regular days, I don't have to think about this that much, as my activities are routines, and the expenses are roughly the same daily. During a vacation, however, I find myself making these mistakes unconsciously over and over, and are often unable to decide what is the right thing to do. I do think, in these cases, fairness is ambiguous. It's not fair to pay more for something that costs less (say, elsewhere). It's not fair to give little profit to these sellers who have little profit margin and rely on these few extra bucks to provide for themselves or their family.
I admit making these trivial mistakes once in a long while. Being one who lifts high integrity, yet also is a cheapskate, I get way too stingy in sharing my extras with those who have less. Yet I wouldn't mind spending bucks for a dress I really like, or a nice gift to a friend. This way of living does not shed a light to anybody, and talks a lot about my priority and perspective of the longer term. Looking after the fact, I'd feel guilty of selfishness, and poor empathy of those who have to work hard to make a living. I should really work on this.
Not everything is related to sharing with those who have less. Another example is buying goodies at a small shop/street vendor. These things are usually already cheap. A toy from a street vendor is sold for 15 yuan, but I'd bargain hard for 10 yuan. 5 bucks is really just 1 US dollar. I don't even think about buying a portion of dumplings for 15 yuan, or a cup of latte for 30 yuan. Those are things I eat/drink once and have no more. But a 15 yuan toy can still be a meaningful gift for someone, and a meal for the seller that day.
On regular days, I don't have to think about this that much, as my activities are routines, and the expenses are roughly the same daily. During a vacation, however, I find myself making these mistakes unconsciously over and over, and are often unable to decide what is the right thing to do. I do think, in these cases, fairness is ambiguous. It's not fair to pay more for something that costs less (say, elsewhere). It's not fair to give little profit to these sellers who have little profit margin and rely on these few extra bucks to provide for themselves or their family.
I admit making these trivial mistakes once in a long while. Being one who lifts high integrity, yet also is a cheapskate, I get way too stingy in sharing my extras with those who have less. Yet I wouldn't mind spending bucks for a dress I really like, or a nice gift to a friend. This way of living does not shed a light to anybody, and talks a lot about my priority and perspective of the longer term. Looking after the fact, I'd feel guilty of selfishness, and poor empathy of those who have to work hard to make a living. I should really work on this.
