Quote Originally Posted by Melalvai View Post
The more we have the less we share. When we are struggling we are generous and compassionate.
To a certain point, I think. Desperate people will also do desperate things in self-preservation. But I do think that a little struggle makes us feel vulnerable, we need other people's support and are more likely to offer support back. If you never experience really needing anything it's harder to imagine that someone else needs something more than you. And our capacity for wanting more is umlimited.

I was thinking something similar this weekend. We help run a local ski slope for kids and teenagers. The municipality pays the electricity and other bills, local parents work for free. Entrance is free for members and we charge a symbolic fee for a year's membership - less than half the price of a day ticket at a commercial ski slope. We loan out skis and snowboards and helmets for free. The slope is open 4 times a week, freshly groomed with professional equipment and big jumps. We lend out shovels so they can build their own jumps, help the newbies onto the lift, make sure no-one's squabbling in line or being mean, comfort the ones who hurt themselves, call parents if necessary.

Even then, we have parents coming in grumbling about not getting a discount if they have several children, or why can't we offer ski instruction as well, and can they try for free for just one day? It's amazing.