It's not enough to do good, you have to do it well

Philosopher, writer and art critic, Denis Diderot He can be considered one of the fathers of the Enlightenment. He lacked the gift of faith, professing himself to be a full-fledged atheist, but he nurtured a profound sense of spirituality (the envy of many believers...) with which he was able to focus on human actions in their fullness, and in their shadowy areas, even when they seem inspired by the best of intentions. Such as "doing good" (how often are we asked? And how often do we think of doing it?). A positive impulse, which, however, has a complete, practical, and moral value, not so much and not only for the final result achieved, but also, and perhaps above all, in the way, intention and accuracy with which we try to “do good”.

To do good Solidarity and generosity are not enough, even though both represent important values, not to be wasted, to raise one's gaze from the navel of the ego and escape from the vicious circle of narcissismIntention matters greatly, the true, deepest intention, which is also worth questioning if we don't want to reduce the goal of "doing good" to a mechanical gesture. If we help someone, even just through a simple alms or a donation, we must know who that person is, draw closer to him or her, learn something of their story, their pain, their loneliness. "Doing good" is an ethical gesture, requiring reasonableness, knowledge, awareness, and participation. Otherwise, we risk pretence, with the explicit or implicit search for a way to clear our conscience.

To do good, in the awareness of knowledge, of a gaze that reaches the other, even before our tips, a method is needed. No evidence of invisibility, which is actually a form of violence, attention to the real need expressed by the person, and the search for a thread of dialogue that goes beyond the material gesture. We are all accustomed to meeting people of similar standing, even in terms of social status and economic conditions, and we struggle to break free from the confines of comfort zone, where we are at ease with others, reassured and protected by relationships with similar people. Doing good authentically breaks this pattern and drags us, almost stripped, before the diversity of humanity, to those distances that we now too easily take for granted, and instead we should not accept supinely and indifferent.

To do good In addition to being delicate, attentive, aware, and responsible, we must be effective. And this requires additional commitment, method, and accuracy. Think for a moment about the amount of scams and frauds that occur in the world of donations, wasted money, which so often never reaches its destination and, if anything, enriches those who profit from this type of activity. Charity is shady, ephemeral, made up of dinners and glamor, Presence and the desire to show off are the ideal aquarium for the small and large sharks of "doing good" but "doing it poorly." If we donate something to someone, we need to know to whom we have entrusted our gesture, and who will benefit from it. Sure, it's an extra effort, but it becomes indispensable if our goal is truly "doing good" and not "doing something just for the sake of doing something."

It is not enough to do good, you must do it well (Denis Diderot)

Read also:

Want to see a selection of our news?