Homeless people

[Kevin]

I usually see homeless people on the sign of the road at stop signs begging for money and it bothers me and makes me uncomfortable because I feel obligated to give them money because I have it and they don’t. So I feel angry and resentful.

 

I think this is common because most people ignore homeless people which is what I usually try to do.

 

Today though I was pumping gas and a homeless guy walked by and said “hey man I’m gonna be honest I really wanna buy a beer can you spare a couple dollars?” I had a 50 on my wallet so I gave him the 50 dollars. And it wasn’t because of guilt. It genuinely felt good to give it to him. He was super thankful and hugged me and it was a very positive experience.

 

overall I’m confused because I can’t just give every homeless person money but it felt good to give him money.

[Isagi Yoichi]

17 minutes ago, Kevin said:

I usually see homeless people on the sign of the road at stop signs begging for money and it bothers me and makes me uncomfortable because I feel obligated to give them money because I have it and they don’t. So I feel angry and resentful.

 

I think this is common because most people ignore homeless people which is what I usually try to do.

 

Today though I was pumping gas and a homeless guy walked by and said “hey man I’m gonna be honest I really wanna buy a beer can you spare a couple dollars?” I had a 50 on my wallet so I gave him the 50 dollars. And it wasn’t because of guilt. It genuinely felt good to give it to him. He was super thankful and hugged me and it was a very positive experience.

 

overall I’m confused because I can’t just give every homeless person money but it felt good to give him money.

 

 I think the situation in America with homeless people is that they want to be homeless they prefer living that way

[Mandy]

Maybe you appreciated his honesty in asking directly for what he wanted instead of playing the victim. 

[Kevin]

18 minutes ago, Isagi Yoichi said:

 

 I think the situation in America with homeless people is that they want to be homeless they prefer living that way

I think it depends where. In Portland Oregon many of the homeless have so many free resources that they don’t put effort into getting out of that situation and there is many problems with homeless violence so I almost never give the homeless money out there.

 

here in Nevada though there aren’t as many so sometimes I give them food or money.

[Kevin]

6 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Maybe you appreciated his honesty in asking directly for what he wanted instead of playing the victim. 

Yes I did appreciate that. I also saw him ask a bunch of people before me and they all just dismissed him so when I gave him 50 I could tell it meant a lot to him beyond just being able to buy beer so it was nice.

[Jonas Long]

25 minutes ago, Isagi Yoichi said:

 

 I think the situation in America with homeless people is that they want to be homeless they prefer living that way

It's more a matter of people with mental illness and no support network.  Nobody chooses it out of genuine preference.

[Reena]

Homelessness is due to mental illness that America doesn't bother to address and so also school shooting

[Blessed2]

1 hour ago, Kevin said:

I usually see homeless people on the sign of the road at stop signs begging for money and it bothers me and makes me uncomfortable because I feel obligated to give them money because I have it and they don’t. So I feel angry and resentful.

 

I think this is common because most people ignore homeless people which is what I usually try to do.

 

Today though I was pumping gas and a homeless guy walked by and said “hey man I’m gonna be honest I really wanna buy a beer can you spare a couple dollars?” I had a 50 on my wallet so I gave him the 50 dollars. And it wasn’t because of guilt. It genuinely felt good to give it to him. He was super thankful and hugged me and it was a very positive experience.

 

overall I’m confused because I can’t just give every homeless person money but it felt good to give him money.

 

Beautiful. Wouldn't be surprised if a hundred dollars appeared to you outta nowhere soon.

 

[Phil]

Yet again the synchronicity is wild. Just did the same exact thing and then saw this. It was literally also a fifty. 🤯 

[Kevin]

3 hours ago, Blessed2 said:

 

Beautiful. Wouldn't be surprised if a hundred dollars appeared to you outta nowhere soon.

 

Haha that would be dope

[Kevin]

1 hour ago, Phil said:

Yet again the synchronicity is wild. Just did the same exact thing and then saw this. It was literally also a fifty. 🤯 

That’s wild dude

[A Tim]

13 hours ago, Jonas Long said:

Nobody chooses it out of genuine preference.

I think that used to be more true than it is, at present, in many places. I've been watching a lot of "investigative" freelance journalists go into some of these areas very heavily populated by homeless folks; LA, Las Vegas, Portland. Many, many of the people say they have had opportunities to get a leg up and do something different, but they no longer buy into society and what it's selling. It's wild, but on some level I definitely get it. 

 

That said - there are also a huge number who befell some unfortunate circumstance and just gave up. That's also very true. They appear in the mini-docs, too. 

[Jonas Long]

1 hour ago, A Tim said:

I think that used to be more true than it is, at present, in many places. I've been watching a lot of "investigative" freelance journalists go into some of these areas very heavily populated by homeless folks; LA, Las Vegas, Portland. Many, many of the people say they have had opportunities to get a leg up and do something different, but they no longer buy into society and what it's selling. It's wild, but on some level I definitely get it. 

 

That said - there are also a huge number who befell some unfortunate circumstance and just gave up. That's also very true. They appear in the mini-docs, too. 

First off I wouldn't trust a "doc" like that 100% personally, they often have an agenda of their own.  But it does say something that anybody prefers to live that way, and I still think it's an issue of mental illness, but it sort of flips to where "society" itself is mentally ill.  

[Mandy]

Home ownership isn't what everyone wants, working the hours required to pay for said home, then maintaining and enjoying the home can all seem very isolating. We haven't yet imagined or created all the alternatives as we often judge the desire for some other way of life other than owning a home of some kind or paying rent in some way as less than or wrong. So it seems there's two extremes, possessing a home or homelessness. If there was a buffer, or preferences allowed and supported in between I think homelessness would stop being a problem, simply by no longer being considered an either/or thing. 

 

With corporations and private equity firms buying up an increasingly large piece of the currently very limited housing stock, I think we'll see even more desire for new options being created soon. 

[Jonas Long]

I can see how from the outside one might assume people who live in the "most powerful and developed/sophisticated nation" in the world would only resort to homelessness out of choice, but that's just how sick we are and how misplaced our priorities.  In reality, we could end homelessness, pretty easily too.  I've spent periods of time without a house or apartment, sleeping in a tent for months, and it SUCKS.  Also maybe worth noting, the drug addiction epidemic and the issue of mental illness are more or less one in the same, at least insofar as they relate to people ending up living without shelter.  And as far as what they may say on documentaries or think piece articles, yeah, it's in our nature in part to sometimes claim our situation is strictly by choice and we are not victims of circumstances or society.  It's pretty disempowering to admit that.  

Edited April 12 by Jonas Long

[Mandy]

4 minutes ago, Jonas Long said:

 And as far as what they may say on documentaries or think piece articles, yeah, it's in our nature in part to sometimes claim our situation is strictly by choice and we are not victims of circumstances or society.  It's pretty disempowering to admit that.  

Is it? You're basically saying that the entire premise of Man's Search for Meaning is disempowering instead of empowering. 

[Jonas Long]

12 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Is it? You're basically saying that the entire premise of Man's Search for Meaning is disempowering instead of empowering. 

It seems/feels more empowering maybe to say "I'm choosing to live this way" rather than "I'm a victim of whatever circumstances", especially if mental illness and drug addiction are factoring in.  But if it were truly 100% a choice, I doubt anyone would live without shelter, reliable running water, etc.  It also enables us to not prioritize providing better options.

Edited April 12 by Jonas Long

[Blessed2]

20 minutes ago, Mandy said:

Is it? You're basically saying that the entire premise of Man's Search for Meaning is disempowering instead of empowering. 

 

The Jordan Peterson book? What?

 

[Mandy]

@Jonas Long Yeah, I see your point, but what if it's not either/or? What if you're so powerful that in giving power in thought to someone else, you actually make it seem as if they have your power?

 

1 minute ago, Blessed2 said:

 

The Jordan Peterson book? What?

 

It's written by Viktor Frankl, a Nazi concentration camp survivor. 

[Blessed2]

3 minutes ago, Mandy said:

It's written by Viktor Frankl, a Nazi concentration camp survivor. 

 

Oh yeah that's right, I confused it with Maps of Meaning.