Pain Tolerance

While in the shelter I got into a friendly conversation with a guy in his late twenties. He was telling me very enthusiastically how he was now dating someone in Germany. After I congratulated him, he went on to explain his plan for visiting his new boyfriend. He needed to sort out the flight, but he would have three months to find a job in Germany. But first, he needed to get his teeth fixed.

He shows me his lower jaw, which has no teeth at all. The story is that one of his wisdom teeth became infected, and the infection spread. So he had to have all his teeth pulled.

"Ow, sounds painful," I say.

"No, I didn't feel anything. The gave me some gas, and then some Novocaine but, nah, I didn't feel a thing."

Very manly, I think to myself.

Conversation turns back to his boyfriend.

"He has two piercings. On in his lip - here - and one... a bit lower."

"Not his toe I assume," I reply.

"No, not his toe. Man, I could never get that thing pierced. Ouch."

...

Manly pain tolerance, it seems, does not include tolerance of penile pain. It it a performance of masculinity to be hyper protective of one's penis?

The Grant

Tomorrow, I stand before group of judges. Men and women gathered by my school to judge "innovation."

For my part, I have created a plan to save one part of my small corner of the world. I've proposed to take $2000 of their dollars and spend them on invigorating an organization that serves homeless youth.

The plan is pretty basic. Gonna improve their training so they they get a larger volunteer base. Gonna create a development program to improve their leadership core. And lastly, gonna bring together members of the community (and homeless kids themselves) to brainstorm ways of reaching out.

I'm pretty stoked. This homeless thing has been a long time in formulating. I'm grateful that some of the fire and mission that started me on this venture is coming back around to really help those people who need it.

$2000 isn't that much. Not even two months rent back in my old place. But its something. Its a start. Could be a tipping point.

So now it's time to do this thing. I've survived skin rashes, mice sleeping on my face, wet and freezing nights, constant sickness, sleeping on the floor of my office, biking 100 miles a week with no car, and not to mention terrifying cops.

I think I can handle a couple of judges.

Effectiveness

Most altruists get over notions of social exchange. If I think someone else's life is as valuable as mine, I tend to do things for them without the expectation that they repay me.

But that isn't to say there are no expectations. Surely, being appreciated for an act of service is always nice, but that isn't really the kicker.

There is often the expectation that the service does something good. That our sacrifice was not in vein. People rarely do things for themselves that they don't think are going to work. So even if the value of another is mingled with the value of the self, if there is no chance that any intervention will work, action is unlikely.

This is important to keep in mind. As people who are striving to do good, hope is a crucial component. It is not enough to value the other. We must also foster the hopefulness that what we can do can help.