Reflection Entry (The Soul of Money)

The topic of money tends to be a touchy subject for most people, one of the unmentionables that you never bring up in conversations other than to complain about the cost of tuition. Even as a college student without a steady job, I have the ability to buy things I do not necessarily need or truthfully even want. I must admit that I easily get sucked into the mindset of wanting more and more things, sometimes without ever thinking about why I want/think I need another pair of shoes or a new computer. However, when it comes to putting my money to good use, I do very little of it, be it donating to a good cause or an organization. One aspect of Lynne Twist's speech that I really appreciated was the talk about the soul of money. Money is an inanimate object that we as humans created and therefore they have no souls. It is what we do with that money that gives it a soul, whether we decide to put it towards a greater cause or use it towards even more junk. Despite my interest in human rights and non-profits, I have personally donated very little money for any causes, which both confuses and bothers me.

A reading that I feel helps explain some of the possible reasons for this is Stanley Cohen and Bruna Seu's "Knowing Enough Not to Feel Too Much: Emotional Thinking About Human Rights Appeals." They examined the reactions of people to human rights abuses and organizations dealing in that sphere, with most people stating that while they care and feel about the issues, they did not feel that giving their money would be useful. For some, when organizations asked for donations, they felt that money was the most important thing that the organization was searching for, not real connections with people. The difficulty with being an organization that depends on donations is trying to not make people feel as though they are viewed only as wallets that can give money. At the same time, there can be no doubt that money is necessary to get things done, especially things like sending high school students to India.

The reason why I am willing to commit significant time and effort to CLP is because it gives me the opportunity to have hands-on experience and the chance to be able to see the results of the planning after seven months. Instead of giving my money, I am willing to give my time in order to become part of the CLP community and to give in a way that I am capable of.