How compassionate are you? NVR
Posted by Anonymous on Aug 08, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
Remember the episode on the King of Queens where a stranger showed up on Thanksgiving and Doug and Carrie were arguing over it? Doug was the nice guy and Carrie was saying he's a nut don't let him in.
What would you do would you invite him in for thanksgiving dinner?
Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only King of Queens fan here ;D
If I wasn't by myself, I probably would invite him in--as long as he didn't demand turkey and was OK with a vegan thanksgiving 8)
I'm sorry - I live in NYC. If some stranger shows up at my house, I won't ever know he wants Thanksgiving dinner, because I won't buzz him into the building to find out....
To be compassionate, I would volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate food/money, but here in the city it's not a good idea to let in a stranger...
I would never invite them in I just can't. I might make him a plate if I honestly believed he wasn't a threat of some kind (like he wasn't staking out the place).
There was a homeless guy living on my neighbors property once quite a few years back. They knew about it. On Thanksgiving we made a plate for him piled so high of everything we had and brought it over to him but we never invited him over. I think the world is way to dangerous to do it.
I'd give him food, even money.
I wouldn't invite him in. One, because I'd be scared. Two, because I don't like people too much and am a bit of a recluse. So, more people for Thanksgiving is not my cup of tea.
Reminds me of a great Hebrew film called Ushpizin.
I'm not very compassionate. I'm actually kind of an asshole
I think I'm a compassionate person- practical, yes, but also compassionate.
That being said, no I wouldn't invite someone into my home, under those circumstances. I have kids, and first and foremost I think of their health and safety. I *might* try to find an address for a shelter, depending on his or her demeanor.
I wouldnt invite him in but I would give him food and some small talk if need be... outside.
Remember the episode on the King of Queens where a stranger showed up on Thanksgiving and Doug and Carrie were arguing over it? Doug was the nice guy and Carrie was saying he's a nut don't let him in.
What would you do would you invite him in for thansgiving dinner?
I just watched that as I made dinner, I have to say I would let them in and hope I get a better review of my veggie Thanksgiving than I did from last year.
I've never heard of The King of Queens. Is that a reality TV show?
I'd invite the guy in depending on how many people I had over. If I had a packed house I'd invite him in. If it was just a couple of us, I wouldn't - but he'd get a plate and probably some Happy Thanksgiving green.
I've never heard of The King of Queens. Is that a reality TV show?
I'd invite the guy in depending on how many people I had over. If I had a packed house I'd invite him in. If it was just a couple of us, I wouldn't - but he'd get a plate and probably some Happy Thanksgiving green.
Haha, H_H, I don't know if you think like I do, but "Happy Thanksgiving green" made me laugh!
Reminds me of a great Hebrew film called Ushpizin.
I'm not very compassionate. I'm actually kind of an not a very nice person
You are, however, honest--and that's a rare commodity in this world. My DH asked me once why I so often say,"I'm not a very nice person". My response: "Because it's true!" Well, I can be nice, but only to people with brains. I do NOT suffer fools gladly. The fact that I don't actually open my mouth and let all the acid and venom out, doesn't mean it ain't there....it just means I was raised to be polite.
Of course I would not let him in, not even in my super safe town. I would give him food though & probably some money. Compassion and personal safety are two totally different issues. I often see hitchhikers & think, "I wish I could give them a ride". I know both my husband and my dad have done that. I used to work in a really bad city & made it a point not to give any beggers money because 1. They would maost likely use it for drugs anyway 2. I figure if they know I gave to them before they would harass me more every day and 3. I wouldn't want to take any money out on the street. I thought for my own safety, it was better to just say, I'm sorry but I don't carry any money on me. However, I have given money to beggers in other situations, like when walking with my husband.
I would NOT let him in. I live in Houston, a very big ciy with lots of dangerous people. However, I wouldn't mind giving him food. But I would never give any begger any of my hard earned money. I may sound cold and cruel, but beggers make about $60,000 a year tax free! Makes me think that I am in the wrong profession. Many beggers have very nice homes and drive very nice cars like Mercedez and such, and dress slumly for their "profession" which is a profession of begging. No, I never give money to those jerks, they are cheating, making money the easy way, and making much more money than I am and I have a college education that I worked my A** off for and a job that I don't really like too much now and pay way too d**n much taxes to a government that I believe is corrupt. (Yes, I am an American, born and raised and I still hate the American government) Not to mention the student loans that I now have to pay off which suck up the "good" paychecks that I am making now so that I am now no better off than I was when I was broke as hell in college. So no, I have my issues with beggers, they are cheaters, liers, and theives. Why do they have it so easy when I have to work my A** for every penny I make, and a third of every dollar I make goes to the American Government, an institution I believe to be very corrupt??? It is just not fair!
Sorry, soap box there, I am off it now, I hate beggers, can you telll? But I would give food becuase I think that it would help to spread the vegan lifestyle. If they realize how good vegan food is then maybe they become vegan themself and turn their servents and house keepers that keep their nice cushy homes clean into vegans as well.
I'd give him food, but I wouldn't let him in. I'm a single mom and I live in the redneck enclave of Tampa. There is a lot of cheap rental property in my area which attracts a less than desirable class of subhumans. I periodically get phone calls from the sheriff's dept. to inform me that yet another sexual predator has moved into my area. Nobody is coming in my house!
Haha, H_H, I don't know if you think like I do, but "Happy Thanksgiving green" made me laugh!
Well, now I think like you do! LMAO. ;D
Here's the thing about the question. There are lots of homeless people by where I work. A couple of them are really cool and I'd invite them over for Thanksgiving. However, this isn't a random homeless guy you invited over, this is any stranger who has targeted your house and asked for entry.
You know, I'm reading these posts and I have to wonder a few things. I'm seeing a lot of comments to the effect of: "I live in a city, it isn't safe." Why are you assuming that small towns are safer? There are a lot of good people in the world, but there are a lot of people who would harm others, too. And they are everywhere.
I also see a lot of posts referring to "him". So I am curious, if the stranger were female, would you react differently?
Personally, I wouldn't.
I know how I'd like to answer this question. I know what I'd like to say I could - would - do. But to be honest, I don't know.
Fear is something bred into us. It keeps us alive, but it also makes us prisoners literally (how well do you know your neighbors?) and figureatively. When I read this thread, I know that I don't know how compassionate I am, and won't until I'm tested. I know there are tests I've failed, tests I've passed and test I should have done better on.
For me, it's not "How compassionate are you?" but "Will you continue to try to be more compassionate?"
And that's one I can answer, "Yes."
Tkitty:
No, I wouldn't act differently if it was a woman, I still woudn't let her in, women can be every bit as dangerous as men. I didn't grow up in Houston, I have only been living here a few months. I have lived in small towns, like Robinson, IL with a population of 8000. No, I wouldn't have let them in when I lived there either, but I was more relaxed then, more willing to help them out, but I wouldn't have let them in my home. The most trusting I have ever been of strangers was when I was in Alaska. Not so much Fairbanks, which was where I lived, but in the small towns like McCarthy, or Coldfoot who have populations of around 100. If I lived in a town like that, then yes, I probably would let the person in, and in that case, there would be a high chance that I would already know the person. But anywhere else, I would not. Alaska is the only place that I have ever been to, where I felt perfectly safe, never felt threatened by anybody. That could be a big reason why I want to go back so bad, that and the northern lights, I desperately miss those! But that is off subject. So short answer is no, in a small town I would not, unless it was a bush town in Alaska, in which case I probably would.
I've never been to Alaska... I want to go now, though! I've lived in very small towns and cities as well, and I'm just wary of people wherever I go, too.
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