I bought these blocks the other day. I love them, but I feel overwhelmed and as though if I had found just one of those dear little animals it would have been enough. I stare at them and wonder what to do with them all and why I have $40 to spend on things I don't need when there are so many people in this world who could do alot better with that money. Of course it's partly the dreadful goings on in Haiti (and elsewhere), but it's mostly the fact that I am slowly slowly getting through this incredibly simple but important book by the Australian ethicist Peter Singer. Highly recommended for a kick in the pants, especially if you're wearing designer ones. Of course reading the fantastic Pencil and Pipette regularly keeps this perspective at the fore for me too. In a good way. Go Anna!
6 comments:
i haven't read Singers book so maybe i'd think differently about what i'm about to say if i had...BUT...
There is such an unfair distribution of wealth in this world ....it really irks me it's the less well off that are made to feel the guilt of others irresponsibility and greed...
If something makes you happy...embrace it . We could all do with some cheering up......having seen a little of your work , i can foresee a fantastic artwork coming from it .
Thanks Elaine! You are so lovely, and a wise woman to boot. I feel a bit better about it all now. Singer's book sure is a difficult (i.e. draining) but essential read.
but they are adorable blocks... i do know what you mean though. you have a good heart. and yes, with the haiti situation it brings it home. the way i see it is that we can still enjoy our own lives (and even a few "things") while contributing as much as we can to lifting up those less fortunate. if we all help we really can do it. sandra x
Hi Sandra, how lovely of you to write. Thank you -- I think that those are very, very wise words. I reckon that if I ever make it to the last page of Peter Singer's book, that I'll find similar ideas in there too. You are right -- it is really important, otherwise there's no point to life really...Thanks and all the best!
Surprisingly, I hadn't heard of that one of Singer's books... I must have been hiding under a rock :) I've read a few other ones, such as one he co-authored with J Mason - "the ethics of what we eat" and we studied some of his texts alongside many others for a biology course I did, "biotechnology in context". Interesting classes and debates on ethics! :)
those classes sound really cool! I guess that this book is a bit of a departure from all of that, and it is quite recent too, so that might be why it's not familiar - ? Thanks for looking!
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