Is it really unavoidable for us to taking money from others on purpose for needs of living?

Question

First of all, I'm sorry for my poor English. I'm a Japanese living in Japan.
But I can't help asking you all over the world a question.
Is it really unavoidable for us to taking money from others on purpose?

I think that we make our living selling something to others on condition that we take interests from them.
I think that my property is mine and others' are theirs.
I wonder why I must plan to take others'.
When I give something to my brother or a friend of mine or a neighbor or a visitor, or when I help them, I don't plan to take money from them.
I think that you also don't.
I mean liking not for righteousness but for friendship.
And I think that it is natural for them to administer their own property.
But is it really unavoidable for me to taking money from others on purpose for my need of living as people say?

Thank you for your quick responses, everyone. I am reading them and thinking about them now. I will write my reply later. Please wait for me. Anyway, thank you very much.

I also know that we need money in our society. And I don't avoid making money.
And some people say that many people are stingy and untrustworthy and that is why we must take money from others no matter what their wills are for needs of our livings. But I wonder whether it is a certain fact or not.
I'm sorry if I don't correspond to your messages.

I once ran a small private school, which is called "juku" in Japanese, and taught students. I used to take money from them on purpose as fees. But I often used to be given extra moneys or foods and so on by them as rewards or contributions. I mean that I wished to be given all of them not as fees but as rewards or contributions.
To my regret, I lost my juku before I grasped the significance of my bad feeling. But I imagine that some people would have given me the same amount of rewards or contributions as fees, the others would not, if I had tried to abolish fee in my juku. Sometimes parents of students would have said to me "now we can't give you anything except the word 'thank you' because we are short of money". Sometimes they would have given me the more amount of money as fees. I can suppose various possibilities. Anyway it would have been no problem as long as I had gotten along.
....to be continued

Anyway the example mentioned above is my imagination based on my experience. But I expect that there are more various exciting facts, opinions or hopes in America or the other countries than in Japan because I am impressed that you out of Japan are flexible, generous and optimistic.
I have been to South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Austria and Germany. Most of people in their countries have been very kind and friendly. I have met American, Latin, European, African, Australian and Asian. They have been so, too. When I got lost in their countries, everyone come to gather round to help me. Many people treated me to foods or drinks at restaurants in their countries. I have never experienced and heard like that in Japan. One guy might treat one lady to a drink to win her favor.
In spite of the message of one of you, It is unbelievable for me that there are more crimes in your countries than in Japan.
Further to this, we aren't conscious of tax and our government don't help poor much in Japan.

Answer 1

huh?
I have been poor and lived in streets/ gutters and autos.
I know poor! That government cheese is very tasty when you have naught. and when someone gives a soul some tea, that Taste of tea is so sweet beyond words.

So my friend do not dispair the act of offering a poor soul some tea is the sweetest yet.

Give and take like nature does and the Life you live will be sweet and pure.
do not worry it is "Balance" that we live for!
Peace to you my young friend

>Love Richard

Answer 2

I was reading what the other members have answered, and wanted to add my own two cents if you don't mind.

I was a little bit confused about what your question really was by some of the answers, but now I think I understand at least a part of it.

Satoshi san, when you said that you wanted to be given "money or foods" as rewards or contributions, and not as fees, the idea of reciprocity came to my mind. The concept itself is valid, I believe - you see examples of it everywhere. But the value of it and how important it is in the economy or the daily lives of the people are spelled out differently in different parts of the world. I don't want to make a stereotypical statement, but in many Asian countries you find that they value exchanges of reciprocity much more than in America. I'm not saying that's either a bad or a good thing, I believe it's just a matter of different value systems.

But reciprocity is not a legalized thing - I mean you are not bound by law to do it, which I think is exactly what makes it a much more valuable and desirable thing. Whereas payment in the form of fees is a legally binding consequence of consuming a privately produced service, the payment may not have been given whole-heartedly (it could have, of course) as it would have if it were given as the "rewards and contributions" - you could be sure that rewards or contributions are given whole-hearted because it's an act that does not, or should not, be in need of something in return. From all the countries that I have visited, Japan is been the most visible example of reciprocity and how it plays in the lives of everybody's daily routines. I think that the power of social norms is what causes most people to do that.

Some people can't pay, some people just weren't raised in a nurturing environment that would foster a generous and kind personality and character, while others were lucky enough to be raised in an environment that allows them to think about the concept of reciprocity without it being legally binding. In the world we're living in now, money is pretty much a necessity to live. If we have no money, we'd die because we can't buy foodstuffs. As an economics student, I'm told over and over every time I go to class that people are economically rational agents, doing what best serves their interests in the short and long run, and most of the decisions are measure in terms of money, which is basically the best thing we have in our current evolution process as a universal measuring unit. Economics has explained a lot of the decisions of big companies that I didn't understand before, but it falls a little too short in explaining altruistic intentions and the idea of reciprocity. That answer lies in my philosophy classes.

You are right when you say that if you abolish fees from your juku, some people will continue to give you money or foods and others will take advantage of it and not pay anything. It's sad but I guess that's what happens when the world develops with the thought that money can buy anything - making it become something that people would sacrifice certain values and or traditions if they could save money for it. And not because they want to, but sometimes because they have to beause OTHER people would be taking advantage of them... It's how much of the right values are instilled in the people that allows for the possibility of the world in which you can run a juku without having your students pay you fees but pay you with rewards and contributions for you teaching them. It means that as a teacher you think that education should not be a normal merchandise, but should be available to people at all times. hontou ni sonkei shimasu!

Since this is my first response, I ended up writing a lot.
I'm afraid whether or not I answered your question, but I hope at least this somehow allowed you to find an answer to your question. sorry, that was weird english.

NoteC.

Answer 3

I do not know how these things work in Japan. But here in America, a lot of people figure it can be give and take, in families especially, and friends too. Like if someone is short of money, you can have them over for dinner. But then they should do a favor for you. Problems and bad feelings happen when one person keeps taking and expects others to keep on giving because they need it.

I work with a girl from Thailand and she sends money to her family who is still there. It has been 18 years now and she says it is expected that she will always send money. Nothing like that is expected in the USA.

Answer 4

I the ideal world probably yes. Unfortunately the world is not ideal. If you give something to someone close to you that's one thing. But say someone you don't know might ask you to help him build a house. He would need you for the next 3 years to work on it. Would you still say "yes"? Most people wouldn't...unless they get somethingt of equal value in return.

Then "euqal value in return" could be something other than money. The guy could give you say 250 000 bananas or 6 cars or whatever he has. The advantage of money is that its of universal value. If you receive money you can change it agains goods and services with many (if not all) different people.

Answer 5

First why don't we ask our Governments why they are taking over half of our hard earned money in income tax and then tax everything we buy with the sales tax, luxury tax, inheritenance tax..

so maybe some people think they are Robin Hood or Jesse James as these two characters (one real one fiction) are our heroes?
Yes, and Japan has its mafia too! I have been to Tokyo,
visited Ropongi (sp) Ginza, Shebuya (sp) but anyway i visited first in 1985 and again in 1997 and seen the crime rate go up in your country as well as my country.
Thiefs are in all countries and go back to the beginning of time...so no one is exempt..but i got to say i think japan is safer then any country that i visited...especially our own capital Washington DC...that is a national disgrace

Answer 6

I understand your frustration on seeing the true fact of life.
We as human, change our views on value as we grow up from babies to kids, from students to working adults, from healthy persons to sick old men.
At any stage, money is required. As a baby, I did no know what money was, though it was required to buy my milk powder and my clothing. As I started schooling, I knew I need little money to buy me a small meal during the lesson break. When I incidentally picked up 20 cents, I handed it to school office.
Few years later, I learned to help my classmates to buy breakfast. In doing so, I earned my own breakfast too. I did not get any money. I thought I was stupid not to charge my classmate more money for their breakfast. When I went to higher school, I started saving some money in the bank to earn some interest.
However for the next few years, I needed more money for higher education. I got to loan money from the bank, sign bonds with the government to serve the society. Then I started working to pay back my bond and to earn money to pay loan.
After which I could save some money to pay for the tuition fee of my brothers. Then I needed money for my dating, wedding dinner, home, car, vacation......etc.
In summary, you are right that everyone needs to get money from someone for his living.
In fact, it is not just every one, all the organizations, commercial, government, even charitable ones, need money to sustain their activity.
In conclusion, money is not every thing, it is the only thing. Sorry to disappoint you.

But I am sure that you and I have done something for other people without any monetary reward except happiness and satisfaction. Right?

Answer 7

Get a Job

Answer 8

there are understandable situations, it depends on the norms of the society....

Answer 9

are you talking about theft or government aid?