About altruism

Some people have suggested to me that it is altruistic to leave the UK and come to work in a remote rural setting but in my view this could not be further from the truth. Altruism is when you behave towards someone in a way that is harmful to yourself while being beneficial to the other person. Being run over by a car in the act of saving a complete strangers life would be an extreme example. Such acts are pretty rare and when it comes to choosing a job or a way of life they are completely unsustainable. If the people who came to work here were true altrusits they wouldn't last more than a few months, the only way to stay for a long time is to enjoy it.

It has occured to me that if I wanted to be altrustic I would move back to the UK, live in a tent, work 120 hours a week probably in some private hospital somewhere and send all the money out her to be spent for the benefit of the community by someone I trust. Maybe I am overerestimating what that money could do or underestimating what I am actually doing here but it is possible that this choice would be of more benefit to the community.

Just because I'm not an altruists doesn't mean that I think this is any old job. Nobody's perfect and I don't mind admitting that I can feel a little pleased with myself when people ask me what I'm up to. I wish it wasn't so but I can't help it. Nor does it mean that I haven't made sacrifices, a clean hot shower would be real luxury at the moment for example, but hasn't everyone had to make sacrifices along the way.

It also doesn't mean that I think this is the most important thing in the world either. I honestly beleive that a group of motivated teachers, businessmen or water engineers could have a huge impact on this community that would probably far outstrip the benefits that can be acheived by improving healthcare. All I'm saying is that when it comes to leaving the world in a better place than you found it it certainly beats marketing cigarettes to children or writing computer viruses for a living.