Sep 6 (edited) in Words of Wisdom
The Devil is a Busy Man by David Foster Wallace.
The story The Devil Is a Busy Man illustrates a quirk of human nature: people often need to feel like they are getting a deal for something, even if it means taking advantage of someone else. In the story, the narrator recounts how his father tries to give away a lawnmower for free, but no one accepts it. Then, he tries selling it for $5, and still, no one buys it. Finally, the father raises the price to $50, and people quickly buy it, feeling like they’ve made a smart purchase.
This story highlights an aspect of human behaviour: we tend to value something only when we believe we’re getting a personal benefit or outsmarting someone else. It reflects the need to feel superior or to gain an advantage in our interactions.
Perhaps the motive behind many of our actions is often selfish, even when we convince ourselves otherwise. Every action we take benefits us in some way, whether consciously or unconsciously. In the story, people saw no benefit in helping a random guy get rid of something for free.
It wasn’t until the price was raised that they saw an opportunity to gain an advantage—a sweet deal, a personal benefit. This mirrors how, even when it comes to charity, we might be more motivated by the benefits we gain rather than the good we do.
This suggests that the selfish way people act is not far removed from the way the Devil might work—subtly and insidiously.
It raises the question: Is our charity truly selfless, or is it just a way to soothe our conscience?
I know this might sound extreme and unreasonable. I’m not suggesting that we should stop helping people or avoid charity altogether. But it does make me wonder—if we truly care about a cause, why don’t we sacrifice more for it? How can we say we care deeply about an issue, advocate for it, yet not go out of our way to make a real difference? Is our support genuine, or is it just another way to feel good about ourselves?
Consider this: If you’re willing to donate £1, why not donate £50? How do you measure someone’s struggle and justify how much you claim to care? And why do we often help only when it’s convenient for us?
I suppose what I’m really trying to say is that we should still help the homeless, but we need to acknowledge that no one is inherently better than anyone else.
We all have selfish tendencies—some are just less harmful than others.
Don’t be so quicky to judge.
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The Devil is a Busy Man by David Foster Wallace.
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