Ever feel like no matter how much you do, it’s never enough? If so, you’re not alone. Scarcity is one of the most pervasive elements of modern culture. Blame the media, blame consumerism, blame whoever you want, but we’re constantly surrounded by the message that we’re not rich enough, beautiful enough, successful enough, masculine-or-feminine enough, etc.

The same society that feeds our sense of inadequacy also offers up a ready-made solution: Buy more stuff, and somehow, you will feel better. You can, according to the logic of scarcity, buy your way out of any problem.

The bottomless pit of charitable giving

The bottomless pit of charitable giving

Nowhere is this more socially sanctioned and aggressively promoted than in the realm of charity. According to conventional wisdom, the answer to not feeling like a good enough person is to give money to charity, which basically amounts to buying a sense of social worthiness.

When we want to give back, rather than being encouraged to actually be good people; or consider, appreciate, and build on ways in which we’re already doing good; we’re told to ‘get involved’ with charity.

Even if we are giving to charity, it’s never enough. “Dig deeper”, they say, “Could you do a little more? The need is so great! You’re so fortunate!” It’s a common and accepted practice in fundraising to scheme about getting current donors to pony up just a little bit more. Every year, preferably. And pressure their friends to do the same. It’s never enough.

And do we ever actually get the promised results? Do we ever feel like we’re good enough, worthy enough? Maybe for a brief moment: that temporary high when you first give, if you’re truly convinced that what you’ve given to will create the impact it says it will. But only for a minute, because the next time you turn around, the pleas for more have, if anything, multiplied.

Telling us afresh that it’s not good enough – that we’re not good enough, that we need to do more and more. Why do we keep buying into it?