Charitable people!
A tells B – if I have 2 houses, i will give you one. If I have 2 cars, I will give you one. However if I have 2 shirts, I will not give you one.
So B asks him – ‘Why are you saying that?’
A says ‘Because that is what I ACTUALLY HAVE’…..
Of course this is an old story..I was reminded because when Sushil Kumar won Rs. 5 crores I did an article in yahoo finance – and there were upwards of 3500 comments on that article. Most of them, if not all of them said ‘He should do some charity’.
When I said “I am looking for a publisher” people said ‘do an E-book and give it free’.
Amusing thoughts.
How many of the people making these suggestions will work for free? Maybe just or a week…or a month?
It is so easy to be charitable when it does not belong to you, right? I may be doing charity or may not be doing charity – either way it is my business, is it not?
I do a lot of paid content work – as well as free content work – but even the free content may have a hidden cost or a hidden benefit.
So those who want to do charity can go to www.akshayapatra.org and do so….I will do what I want – that is my business.
Pramod
Actualy when people say one should do charity, they wish if they could get some sahre of the pie and rather than saying “GIve it to me” they say “Give to the society” as if society is somewhere on the mars.
Anyhow I do charity. I arrange for food everyday for hungry people (disclaimer – they all live in my house) Did’nt some said ……….BEGINS AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Ajay
Rightly said
Nowadays All companies are involves in CSR. Though its good thing but companies do get better image in doing so.
A lot of MBA aspirants join NGO’s as in interview they are aksed about social service.
Retired guys like Clinton and Gates do it find purpose in life after retirement.
Many people do it simply it makes them feel good.
Celebrities do it to recover from bad image or get noticed.
I get a lot of calls (like telemarketers ) asking for help for help of child etc. Its difficult to judge the genuineness and answer such calls.
aditya
I have preferred Akshaypatra and Goonj.. works in a credible manner..
thank you Subra, our conscience needs a wake up call time to time
pravin
this CSR business is nonsense.the company should return its money to the shareholder and let them do the charity/SR they wish. a company doing CSR essentially means the hired management gets to spend company money to burnish its image.the ceo can pretend he has a good heart. it is no different than sonia gandhi naming the worli sealink after her husband. anybody can be generous with other peoples money.
the company was formed to earn money for its owners.let the owners decide what to do with their money and not some hirelings
T K VANI
Agree with Mr.Pravin. PSU’s are expected to squander money on CSR initiatives which have to be mandatorily run by NGO’s in which some of the directors /top officials have vested interests. Money is also squandered in purportedly training officials in CSR by sending people to various programmes. In one instance a person with less than two months to retire was sent on a training programme which cost RS.500000 for two days and in another the same set of people attend the programme every year. Resorts,/training guys/ employees are the beneficiaries.
subra
What is the right spirit Pratik? give it free? sorry, i thought only beggars ask for ‘free’.
Praveen
If somebody is giving it for ‘free’, then there will be an hidden agenda of ‘some gain’ 🙂
asmi
agree with pramod and subra.
Ajay
Reminds me of dialogue which Joker says in ‘The Dark Night’
‘If you’re good at something, never do it for free.’
Jitendra
Charity, can be in various forms…but the one which is most saught after is ‘Monetory’ 🙂
But why to force someone to do charity?? And people are hesitant because they don’t know ‘how exactly the money they donate will be used??’
So one more question: Should I just donate money and do not check for it’s usage?
Muthu
You’re rightly annoyed with the suggestions on e-book or charity. But unfortunately that is the way we are. Intellectual property or knowledge, especially when it comes out of years of practical experience is either valued at zero or only at a nominal cost.
You know how many read your blogs regularly and also keep writing to you on benefiting from your wisdom.
Please tie up with a payment gateway and make your blog only accessible for a nominal fee of Rs.300/- per year, which is not even one rupee a day.
If my inference on people’s willingness pay for knowledge or genuine advice is correct, you may not have more than few dozen subscribers.
SAM
Subra,
Good Post and resonates with me! It is really presumptuous of people to expect you to do charity/help them etc – just so they can have a slice of your successes/lifestyle – which is money in most cases! Amazing how much people resent you for your successes and their so called failures. Of course no one really remembers your hard work, long work hours, delayed gratification!
Charity in Indian concept really pisses me off – especially being child of an immigrant who rose up the ranks with sheer hard work, grit, determination and above all honesty!
subra
Partly agree with you Muthu – but these days I do get people saying ‘Will you just review my portfolio, and suggest changes – if yes how do I pay you and how much?’ So things are perhaps getting better. I need to quickly add that such people will not be enough in numbers to make a living. Also it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to quantify the clients benefits in case of NEGATIVE advice. ‘Do not go to this builder’ advice saved a client about Rs. 2.5 crores. LOL. fees: NIL.
SAM: what got my goat was suggesting that there is a ‘right spirit’ to the ‘give the Ebook free advice’. Loved it. Anybody is welcome to BUY my book and give it away free. CSR, anyone? LOL.
I do not care if people do not respect intellectual effort, I will not like to deal with them, that is all.
anon
we will pay for the ebook.nothing free pls.
offtopic follows.
recently I came into some major money and major responsibility as nominee of a ppf account (no will). the way the rest of the family is suggesting divisions is no better than charity. I am turning selectively deaf. 🙂
amolsw
Subra,
Can you share the article link on yahoo that you wrote on “when Sushil Kumar won Rs. 5 crores….”