Experiments with money are becoming more common with social media. I remember doing small experiments myself whenever I had some pocket money in college. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions to resources and their attitudes towards them. I once took a taxi and paid the driver at the end with a $20 bill. He asked how much change I’d like and I gave him a range. “Oh, I dunno. Four, five, six dollars?” They always gave me the least dollars back. But that’s to be expected from those who work hard and those who are loose with their money, is it not?

The short is well composed with the setup, the antithesis, and the thesis at the end.

The viewer expectation is for the money to go towards those who really need it. And this assumption isn’t a terrible one, as his sign does say “Take what you need.”

Unfortunately this man’s experiment is a great analogy to our world around us. Resources are not distributed based on need, but rather based on want. Wealthy individuals become wealthy by having a hunger for resources. Poor individuals, conversely, become poorer by having apathy towards resources.

Opportunities, business, resources, etc. all come to those who desire it first, ultimately being sold or distributed to those who need it later.

I didn’t intend this post to be an analogy for all opportunity and resources in life, but rather a reflection on attitudes on actions carried out by them. It may seem obvious, but the setup of the video is meant to tug on emotional strings and beckon the viewer to a more charitable and fair world, and that’s just not how the world works. The world works as the video portrays, with the setup inviting failure. Those who take advantage of resources remain wealthy. Those who do not remain poor.

It is a mistake to believe that all people share the same attitudes or viewpoints as others, especially ourselves. It’s also a mistake to believe that what is received in life is fair or needed, when really it is opportunistic and wanted.