Simple Arithmetic

One of the problems with trying to help people is deciding which people to help.

Most people would assume that the best thing to do is to help those who are in most in need.

But this thinking is often a waste of time, effort and resources.

These "negative" people usually act in such a way as to cancel out any positive influence on their life.

Then we have the survivors.

These people are neither hot nor cold.

These are the people that accept any condition they are given and fail to make much effort in making things better.

These benign individuals will be helped by any assistance - they just won't show a profit beyond what you've put in.

At the end of the day, the only improvement shown is what was put in by the outside source.

The outside resources could have been spent in a more profitable way.

The best way to aid anyone one is by only helping those who are helping themselves.

This way, your "1" plus their "1" actually adds up to some thing of greater value.

A person who is helping themselves and others could be assigned a greater value.

If a person is helping ten other people, assisting him will enable him to positively effect ten more.

This way, your one effects ten more (in addition to the original recipient).

Instinctively, we assume that he who is greatest need should receive the most help.

But these people are always in need.

People who always need something are the people who will always need something.

The people who settle for anything will settle for anything.

Your investment in that person won't grow.

The only way to effect any real change is by utilizing your resources on those who are actually making an effort to help themselves (and ideally, others).

Really, it's just simple arithmetic.