Thanks! This helped me with a question I just posted on the forum and have been struggling with for a while now. And inspired me to stop putting off taking the 10% pledge 😅
I love this post and it made me think that the downsides of public pledging you described (i.e. “do-gooder derogation”) make it more virtuous (aside from the upsides you listed).
Because I think (all else being equal) the more difficult a good deed is, the more virtuous it becomes. For example (if there are no opportunity costs) spending 10 minutes patiently helping an old lady cross the street is more virtuous than spending 5 minutes helping an old lady across the street.
That’s probably not the best example but I hope my point is clear and you’ll feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
That is great to hear David, thank you for your kind comment!
And I agree with you that if a moral action is costly, then this seems to make it more praisworthy to perform it. Additionally, if these costs are shared between many people, it also seems solidaristic to take on part of these costs, and making it easier for others.
However, interestingly, I also believe that it is less costly to be public about donations if one can give some explanation or justification for this. If others perceive the reason for being public as a desire to inspire others, rather than bragging, then it will also be met with much less annoyance. So sharing this essay was not only a way for me to explain why one should take on this cost, but also a way to reduce the cost themselves.
I think that this also connects to your post, which I just read! If you decide to reach out to your clients, and also give some explanation or context for doing this, I think that they would be less inclined to react negatively to it. I am really happy that the essay was helpful for your question, and inspired you to also take the pledge! Thank you for letting me know that, and good luck with the holiday gift package!
Thanks! This helped me with a question I just posted on the forum and have been struggling with for a while now. And inspired me to stop putting off taking the 10% pledge 😅
I love this post and it made me think that the downsides of public pledging you described (i.e. “do-gooder derogation”) make it more virtuous (aside from the upsides you listed).
Because I think (all else being equal) the more difficult a good deed is, the more virtuous it becomes. For example (if there are no opportunity costs) spending 10 minutes patiently helping an old lady cross the street is more virtuous than spending 5 minutes helping an old lady across the street.
That’s probably not the best example but I hope my point is clear and you’ll feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
That is great to hear David, thank you for your kind comment!
And I agree with you that if a moral action is costly, then this seems to make it more praisworthy to perform it. Additionally, if these costs are shared between many people, it also seems solidaristic to take on part of these costs, and making it easier for others.
However, interestingly, I also believe that it is less costly to be public about donations if one can give some explanation or justification for this. If others perceive the reason for being public as a desire to inspire others, rather than bragging, then it will also be met with much less annoyance. So sharing this essay was not only a way for me to explain why one should take on this cost, but also a way to reduce the cost themselves.
I think that this also connects to your post, which I just read! If you decide to reach out to your clients, and also give some explanation or context for doing this, I think that they would be less inclined to react negatively to it. I am really happy that the essay was helpful for your question, and inspired you to also take the pledge! Thank you for letting me know that, and good luck with the holiday gift package!