Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cost of Life

If you could extend you life by three months for a cost of $500,000, would you do it? (It's not a purely hypothetical question. See here.)

Would you do it if you had the bear the cost? I wouldn't. The $500,000 should go to my family.

Would you do it if insurance would pay the cost? I wouldn't. The $500,000 should be spent elsewhere. If it's spent here, it can't be spent elsewhere; and elsewhere it could do much more good.

We have become a selfish people. We take for ourselves what ought to go to others. We have little sense of our social duties. We don't believe in the value of sacrifice. We take and take and think it right that we do. Let us begin once again to praise those who give, even at great cost to themselves.