MetaChat - Hump Day Hypothetical

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16 October 2013

Hump Day Hypothetical →[More:]Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use, or be able to give $1000 anonymously to 100 strangers? You can't pick who it's given to, though you know that all of the people could really use the money.

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post by: ThePinkSuperhero at: 10:22 | 17 comments

I'd prefer to give the $100,000 to the strangers. But this is from the perspective of my relative comfort. If I was struggling myself I know I'd want the $10k.

posted by Senyar 16 October | 10:40

100 strangers. I am happy and blessed and lucky to be able to say that $10,000 would not change my life. Sure, there have been times when it would have, and there have been many times when $1000 would have. All I'd do with $10,000 would be to buy some nice toys or a new couch or something like that.

posted by mrmoonpie 16 October | 10:42

That's a tough one. I could really use $10,000, but the guilt of not giving the money to the 100 strangers would be significant and I'd worry about karma (which I don't even believe in but I am superstitious and I can't help it). I'd probably end up giving the money to the strangers.

posted by amro 16 October | 11:31

Even trying to bump this $300 monthly grant to $1000 quarterly, I know how much 1k is not much nowadays. I'd have to know what "needs the money" means to not take the money, because I could parlay that into so much more than forestalling the inevitable for a month.

These questions need to get way more specific in some aspect.

posted by ethylene 16 October | 13:25

IN A Way I'm Doing This With The Book Prize.

posted by brujita 16 October | 14:14

I'd take the money myself because I don't believe in handouts (to other people).

posted by mullacc 16 October | 15:43

I could really use the money, but in thinking about it, that amount would be almost a burden (in deciding best use) because it wouldn't solve the big issues and it's too much to see as "found money" that solves an immediate issue.

So, I'd have to give it away and hope it really helps someone make it to the end of the month.

posted by mightshould 16 October | 17:53

I'd take the $10K and split it between my mom & aunt. Which an entirely selfish act on my part as they'd stop asking to borrow money (that rarely gets paid back).

posted by bluesapphires 16 October | 19:49

I would take the money and hope one of my less grasping friends gets the same deal and decides to give me $1,000. Actually, the more the better, if ten friends gave me a grand each, I'd be thrilled. Why? Because I'm poor. Money would make life much better.

posted by Hugh Janus 16 October | 20:33

I'm going to pretend you wrote "100 stranglers" and keep the $10,000 for myself.

posted by Atom Eyes 16 October | 22:23

I'm thinking a weeks access to a hundred couches; so I'd call it a really awesome time-share-esque giveaway.

posted by buzzman 17 October | 11:02

I know I *should* pick the strangers, but I'd pick myself, so I could give a portion of it to my mom and sister.

posted by needlegrrl 17 October | 14:53

I admit I'd take the 10k. I like designating my own charities.

posted by bearwife 17 October | 19:39

Ten thousand for myself. Student loans don't pay themselves.

posted by Rustic Etruscan 17 October | 23:22

I'd take the money now because it would cover a critical set of short-term issues now, leaving me in a much better position 10 years from now, and also at my death, to leave an equal amount of even more in philanthropic giving later.

By the way, this thread is a great demonstration of why philanthropic giving will never be rational.

posted by Miko 17 October | 23:29

In religious school (Reform Jew) we were taught that the highest form of tzedakah is to anonymously set up a person in his/her own business so that s/he can be self sufficient.

posted by brujita 18 October | 00:24

$1,000 for 100 strangers, especially knowing they really need the money. I'm sure it could do a lot of good, and we're okay right now. Other times in my life, though, it would have been a much harder call.

posted by Pips 18 October | 10:59

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