Those with the vision, passion and energy to bring us the unimagined are amply rewarded under capitalism; they make a lot of money and they get to keep it. And because one only enjoys so many mansions and yachts, most affluent individuals soon pursue other values, including charitable initiatives. Funding science, medicine, and education often tops the list for the wealthy. And with most of the incentives to fund political campaigns gone, as we discussed in the section on political equality, many of the wealthy focus even more of their resources on charitable causes.
Charitable tendencies are not limited to the wealthiest in society. Most of us have a hierarchy of values that includes helping those that have fallen on hard times. And the more we are in control of our time and money—the more we have left after we take care of ourselves and our loved ones—the more benevolent and generous we tend to be toward others.
Benevolence is a trait of human nature that manifests itself in acts of kindness: shoveling the driveway of our elderly neighbor, offering our seat on the subway to a pregnant woman, financing a scholarship for a child in need, giving money to people hit by an earthquake on the other side of the globe. We don’t consider suffering a normal state of life, and when others hit a rough patch most of us do what we can to help. We all share this amazing journey that is our life, we’re on the same Homo Sapiens team, and on some level that creates a bond and a kinship that inspire us to look out for one another as best we can.
Charitable initiatives powered by the benevolence and kindness unleashed when we’re in control of our lives, our time, and our money provide the final knots in the flourishing safety net under capitalism. As more and more people ascend to a life of comfort, and diseases and disabilities become more rare, an abundance of charitable resources will be available for the least well off.
Think Right or Wrong, Not Left or Right 