Beginning at a very young age, I developed a passion to help others in any way I possibly could. When I was about nine years old, I would always try to help my mother by doing tasks I assumed she would benefit from, such as assisting her while she folded laundry or helping her stir the pot of chili she was preparing for dinner. I believed I was leaving a lasting impact on others and myself by helping those who needed it, and so I continued this trait as I grew up. But as I grown over time and became a teenager, I have noticed those who are struggling, or homeless for example, occasionally abuse the privilege of help from others. I have seen multiple homeless people standing on the side of the road begging for money, in some cases, with a sign in hand saying, “need money for alcohol and drugs.” As much as I would like to assist the poor person, I feel it is not right to provide them with the money they would use to potentially harm themselves. They could even use the money for food or necessities. I believe it is not our moral obligation to help others; it is a choice you have to make on your own. Although helping others is highly appreciated, it can be difficult to lend a helping hand to others due to one’s selfishness and help being refuted by the person in need.
As a volunteer to society myself, I believe every human has good intentions and indeed can help those who are struggling. But I also believe that it all comes down on the person and if they are selfish or not. For example, there are some people who would much rather buy themselves the latest iPhone model at Christmas time instead of buying their friends and family presents or even donating toys to a foundation such as Toys for Tots. Since it is not our moral obligation to help others, buying gifts for other people is not necessarily a requirement. My brother stands as a great example of a selfish person He would much rather buy himself something that he does not necessarily need instead of donating to a charity or even buying something for someone else. Overall, it is possible to help other people, but they cannot be helped if one is too focused on themselves to notice the other people around them struggling. Also, some religions encourage the task of helping others. When I was making my 8th grade Confirmation, I had to volunteer twenty hours in order to be confirmed. Some of the students I was confirmed with were stubborn and did not want to complete the twenty “dreadful” required hours, while others completed the amount of hours and more. One specific girl that sat near me during our Confirmation meetings would always gloat about not having her volunteer work done as if it was something to brag about. We all were shocked and confused as to why she would not volunteer and ultimately fail to meet the church’s requirements. Why wouldn’t she want to donate her spare time to others who needed help the most? It is not our moral obligation to help others but