Strategic Philanthropy Goes to Therapy, Part Two

Read the first article in this series here.

Strategic Philanthropy walks into the therapist's office on the heels of a weekend spent sipping caipirinhas with her best friend, Effective Altruism, at the Copacabana Palace. She feels confident that there is nothing wrong with her; any doubts she had were just a momentary tremor in her self-confidence, easily shaken off. As she glances at the therapist and the flowering yellow Ipês along Faria Lima Avenue outside the window, she dives right into her well-rehearsed opening statement. 

‘All is good, doctor. In the end, I think I will not need all those sessions we agreed on. I had an insightful weekend and realized that, in fact, there is no philanthropy without a clear, measurable change at the end of the line, and I am well-equipped to achieve it. I am the strategy.’

‘What an interesting thought”, the Jungian therapist replies, faithfully sipping her drink. ‘Enlighten me; what does your name, philanthropy, mean?’

‘Well, if someone were to optimize your research as I do by asking ChatGPT, it will say that the world comes from the Greek roots philos (loving) and anthropos (human), so it literally means ‘love of humanity.’ 

‘And is that what you do? Love humanity?’

‘Honestly, It is a bit tacky for my taste,’ she says with a look of disdain. ‘It carries a little laidback air of peace and love, no clear action or outcome.  That is why I emphasize ‘strategic’, got it? It is meant to set me apart from all the gibberish of traditional philanthropy and signal a continuum of evolution.’

‘I see,’ the therapist replies. ‘So you feel like an evolution of traditional philanthropy because you can plan, measure, and solve problems, while philanthropy is often associated with clueless do-gooders who lack a clear map for change.’ 

‘Yep, that pretty much sums it up,’ she nods in agreement, getting to her feet and preparing to  leave therapy for good. 

‘Humm,’ the therapist muses with inquisitive brows, ‘What if I told you that the etymology of philanthropy is connected to the myth of Prometheus, who stole the sacred fire of the Gods to give to humans? He was labeled a philanthropist, or a lover of humans - but not in a good way, I shall add. The gods were exceedingly angry at Prometheus' betrayal and punished him in a gruesome way for all eternity. Does that give a new meaning to the understanding of your name?’"

‘That’s a good story, I didn’t know that. But what difference does it make? I mean, we’re not in Ancient Greece anymore… 

‘Well, Carl Jung says that a name might carry archetypal hints about the unfolding of one's life path. Since life is a process of individuation of the soul… if you are named after the betrayal of the status quo, what does that infer about your purpose? And what does it mean to approach that purpose strategically?’ 

Confused, and frustrated for missing the chance to leave early, Strategic Philanthropy shifts in her chair.. 

‘I don't know, really. I mean, ultimately, it has to do with making the world a better place, right? A more just place for everybody. If that requires breaking new ground and changing oneself from what was expected, I guess that makes sense.’ She pauses, staring into the distance, as if drawn into some strange gravitational stream of consciousness.  ‘At the end of the day', she continues, 'most people who give or receive money want the same thing: to do something positive to society and the environment’’ 

A short, seemingly endless moment of silence follows. 

‘And maybe giving money without a pre-defined strategy allows those who get it to set the strategy based on their lived experiences and understanding of a situation… like, I doubt humans had the same use for fire as the Gods, right? I mean, the way humans used fire changed their lives forever, serving their needs. They probably got some burns along the way as well. That would, in a way, be a betrayal of what I am supposed to be.’

‘How so?’ asks the therapist at a quarter past the hour, a subtle smile forming on her lips, secretly longing to wash out the kombucha. 

‘Well… If the gods had given fire to humans and told them how they could use it, when they could use it, and that they would take it back if they used it wrong, would they have become what they are now?’