“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” —Lao Tzu
This ancient proverb is often trotted out as proof that the best help we can provide to our fellow man is to equip him or her for self-help. The problem is we’d much rather utter the hollow platitude than to actually spend time living it. We want to hold others accountable for their actions but leave little room for compassion. We blame the poor for their poverty (unless they live in a foreign country), the jobless for their unemployment and the uneducated for their failure to take advantage of their opportunity.
Our answer to real human suffering is to tell everyone to suck it up and “attract” a better life. Teaching a man to fish implies a willingness to get your hands dirty and interact with another human being, really interact. You may have to foot the bill for the pole and bait and give up time to walk them through step by step. It may take more than one lesson and it may require you to adjust your teaching style to fit their needs. You may even have to give him a meal first so that he has strength to learn.
It makes me wonder if we say it but truly mean, “Dude, fix your own problems.” Equipping a man to live for a lifetime is noble and compassionate. Empty platitudes on the other hand, in my book, are not only lame but downright mean in the face of true suffering.
What do you think? Are we content uttering nice sounding phrases or are we really willing to take time to help someone in need?