giving to the poor would only have a beneficial psychological impact because it would allay guilt. but the guilt comes from social pressure, not from inside me. i have learned that giving to the poor is the right thing to do. it's that whole 'do unto others as you would have done unto you' deal.
i don't presume to know how i would act in the absence of such social pressures, but i can't imagine why i would help another another in need if there were nothing in it for me. do herd animals protect the young, old, and sick when a predator comes, or do they run as fast as they can and never look back?
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