This may be true for other countries with a high standard of living, but I’ve found that in contrast to my American colleagues working in social justice causes, I’m significantly less burdened than them by the threats to my own communities and by the trauma of that existence. Trying to do effective work for others, particularly towards longterm problems, when you yourself are in danger is SO MUCH harder. Rationality is rarely accessible for those in fight-or-flight, and those problems compound.
Living here in New Zealand, I’m not scared about a medical emergency putting me in insurmountable debt, or my children dying in a school shooting, or my democratic institutions eroding (for now!), on and on. This higher baseline places me at a significant advantage to contribute to the wellbeing of others in less safe places.
This may be true for other countries with a high standard of living, but I’ve found that in contrast to my American colleagues working in social justice causes, I’m significantly less burdened than them by the threats to my own communities and by the trauma of that existence. Trying to do effective work for others, particularly towards longterm problems, when you yourself are in danger is SO MUCH harder. Rationality is rarely accessible for those in fight-or-flight, and those problems compound.
Living here in New Zealand, I’m not scared about a medical emergency putting me in insurmountable debt, or my children dying in a school shooting, or my democratic institutions eroding (for now!), on and on. This higher baseline places me at a significant advantage to contribute to the wellbeing of others in less safe places.