The Art of Thinking Clearly: Better Thinking, Better Decisions

participants never find out their numbers. Afterward, each receives a copy of all
the cards. Only when the majority of people identify ‘their’ description is there real
talent at hand. I am still waiting.
See also Feature-Positive Effect (ch. 95); Confirmation Bias 
(chs. 7–8)
; Self-Serving Bias
(ch. 45)

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65
VOLUNTEER WORK IS FOR THE BIRDS
Volunteer’s Folly
Jack, a photographer, is on the go from Monday to Friday. Commissioned by
fashion magazines, he divides his time between Milan, Paris and New York and
is constantly in search of the most beautiful girls, the most original designs and
the perfect light. He is well known on the social circuit, and the money is great:
$500 an hour, easy. ‘That’s as much as a commercial lawyer,’ he brags to his
buddies, ‘and what I have in front of my lens looks a lot better than any banker.’
Jack leads an enviable life, but lately he has become more philosophical. It
feels as if something has come between him and the fashion world. The
selfishness of the industry suddenly repels him. Sometimes he lies in bed, staring
at the ceiling, and yearns for more meaningful work. He would like to be selfless
once again, to contribute something to the world, no matter how small.
One day his phone rings. It’s Patrick, his former classmate and current
president of the local bird club: ‘Next Saturday we’re having our annual birdhouse
drive. We’re looking for volunteers to help us build birdhouses for endangered
species. Afterwards we’ll put them up in the woods. Do you have time? We’re
meeting at 8 o’clock in the morning. We should be done shortly after noon.’
What should Jack say if he really is serious about creating a better world?
That’s right, he should turn down the request. Why? Jack earns $500 an hour. A
carpenter, $50. It would be much more sensible to work an extra hour as a
photographer and then hire a professional carpenter for six hours to make good
quality birdhouses (which Jack could never hope to accomplish). Taxes aside, he
could donate the difference ($200) to the bird club. Doing so, his contribution
would go much farther than if he grabbed a saw and rolled up his sleeves.
Nevertheless, it is highly likely that Jack will turn up bright and early next
Saturday to build birdhouses. Economists call this 
volunteer’s folly
. It is a popular
phenomenon: more than one-fourth of Americans volunteer their time. But what
makes it folly? Among other things, if Jack chooses to cobble together a few
birdhouses himself, it takes away work from a tradesman. Working a little longer
and donating a portion of the earnings is the most effective contribution Jack can

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make. Hands-on volunteer work would be helpful only if he could make use of his
expertise. If the bird club were planning a fundraising mail campaign and needed
a professional photo, Jack could either shoot it himself or work an hour longer to
hire another top photographer and donate the remainder.
So now we come to the thorny topic of altruism. Does selflessness exist at all or
is it merely a balm to our egos? Although a desire to help the community
motivates many volunteers, personal benefits such as gaining skills, experience,
and contacts also play a big part. Suddenly we’re not acting quite so selflessly.
Indeed, many volunteers engage in what might be deemed ‘personal happiness
management’, the benefits of which are sometimes far removed from the real
cause. Strictly speaking, anyone who profits or feels even the slightest
satisfaction from volunteering is not a pure altruist.
So does it mean Jack is a fool if he turns up, hammer in hand, on Saturday
morning? Not necessarily. There is one group exempt from 
volunteer’s folly
:
celebrities. If Bono, Kate Winslet or Mark Zuckerberg pose for photos while
making birdhouses, cleaning oil-stained beaches or digging for earthquake
victims, they lend something priceless to the situation: publicity. Therefore, Jack
must critically assess whether he is famous enough to make his participation
worthwhile. The same applies to you and me: if people don’t double-take when
they pass you on the street, the best way to contribute is with greenbacks rather
than greenhorn labor.