Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Bake Sale Guilt

There was a bake sale today at work. Someone was raising money for something, I don't remember. We have these all the time and everyone feels the need to consume fattening baked goods which make my stomach ache and my head spin with the blood sugar spike. I couldn't afford the carbs after three weekends of binging, so, I just walked past on my way to the bathroom. I heard someone mention a spelt/flaxseed cookie which almost got me to stop, but, I just said to myself that it probably wouldn't be worth it. It's just food. I eat every day.

A co-worker mentioned that he didn't use the washroom all morning, just so he wouldn't have to deal with the hopeful glances from the bake sale people and deal with the guilt of not buying anything. I told him that he has a guilt addiction.

The fact is, he shouldn't feel guilty at all for not buying something. He's under no obligation to help other people by spending money on harmful goods. Giving money to charity makes us feel good because it assuages feeling of guilt. Even if we have a nagging feeling that the money is not doing much good. Even if we realize that the people running the charities are capitalizing on guilt to justify their existence.

Every time I see someone ask for money, I see an industry built on the guilt addiction of others. It's not that I don't believe in charity. It just seems that there are too many people working on keeping people helpless, in order to skim money off of industrious people and carving out a supposedly morally righteous living.

Am I too jaded in my middle-age? Either way, my eyes are open to the motivations of many of the guilt industry zealots and their vapid, thoughtless justifications for their work have no affect on me. I have heard too many people trying to vilify the hard working people just to guilt them into giving up hard earned cash. I am no longer vulnerable to the guilt balms they peddle.


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