I absolutely believe you have every right to invest in yourself. When you're healthy and content, you'll have more energy to give to others as well. Whether you choose to do so or not is, of course, up to you. I think maybe people who have a lot but never choose to share any of it with others could be called selfish.

I'm an extremely empathetic person but I feel like I'm now developing a healthier relationship with the give and take. I'd never work my butt off and give ALL my money to others. The same goes for my time and energy. I think it's about balance as well as personal boundaries, and setting those is HEALTHY.

I also find there are 'causes' or problems I care about more than others, and I think it all comes from each person's experiences. People who have experienced poverty themselves might be most affected by those stories while I'm most affected by stories of child and animal abuse. I think this is natural and believe there will be enough people caring about each cause. The more that get excited about helping others, the better! But within our own personal means and energy levels, of course

I think there's too much abstraction in a lot of popular talk about charity. I think we need to love people as individuals, not "humanity", or "the underprivileged", or whatever. We have to love the person sitting next to us.

There's nothing wrong with giving to charity and all that. It's a good thing. You can help people. The problem is when it becomes a contest. IMO that sort of thing is best done quietly. Giving so much only means you gave so much. It doesn't mean you care more, or that someone who didn't give doesn't care. The real measure is how you think of and treat the people in the same room. Love has to be freely given, it can't be forced.