I recently viewed a Nature episode regarding deceptive Capuchin monkey behavior. It is the duty of these monkeys to share and work together with each other for the good of the group. At least that is the expectation for them. When the group gathers some fruit, the lowest ranking monkey was also the last to eat...which resulted in very little left for the poor creature.
When researchers hid some food in a box, they included a trick to open it. The highest ranking monkey alpha male tried his strength to get at it...no luck. The next ranking monkeys tried their best at using their brain, but failed as well. After all the other monkeys tried, the lowest ranking monkey was given the opportunity after carefully watching the others. Eventually, she figured it out. It was the normal etiquette to share the rewards with the rest of the group, However, after feasting on many of the snacks, this monkey kept the secret (and the snacks) to herself. The moral of the story is that even though the community expects all to share with the group, she knows she will lose access to the food. Therefore, she opted to keep it to herself for self preservation.
When researchers hid some food in a box, they included a trick to open it. The highest ranking monkey alpha male tried his strength to get at it...no luck. The next ranking monkeys tried their best at using their brain, but failed as well. After all the other monkeys tried, the lowest ranking monkey was given the opportunity after carefully watching the others. Eventually, she figured it out. It was the normal etiquette to share the rewards with the rest of the group, However, after feasting on many of the snacks, this monkey kept the secret (and the snacks) to herself. The moral of the story is that even though the community expects all to share with the group, she knows she will lose access to the food. Therefore, she opted to keep it to herself for self preservation.
I thought about us humans and how we behave with our own assets. The rich and middle class usually give to the poor cheerfully. But for the lowest in our society to give to others, it really takes a feat of strength. It's easy to see why; when people give out of their wealth, it doesn't effect their survival. The poorest are constantly trying to find ways to make ends meet and therefore have little time to spend giving to others. Even when they find time, the little they give takes a heavy toll on their pocket book. Many have turned to crime to level the playing field, many turn to the government to pull themselves up from desperation, and then there are some who have been blessed with a connection with a group for help - like a church. Nevertheless, the poor are in a constant state of stress.
It is commendable when a society prides itself on sharing, and when it practices it on a regular basis. Nevertheless, we need to ask ourselves how we view the poor and their role. In the U.S. we rarely expect them to share like the rest of society, but we do expect them to behave like the rest of society in all other behaviors. When one is on the verge of homelessness or joblessness it's tough to be cheerful and operate with the conveniences managed by people in the upper status.
In my opinion, we shouldn't just pity, give hand-outs, and expect nothing from the poorest members of society. We should find every method possible to lift the poor up to a new level, where they can function without the stress of survival. We should not act like monkeys, accepting low ranking members as the inevitable. We need to constantly find new ways to bring the poorest up to a new level so they can live and proudly function with others as equals.
