The easy thing about poverty is that if it happens to strangers, it hurt you a lot less to witness. When it gets close to home, that's when you really start to understand the issue itself. We really only care, truly care, about groups up to around 100 people or so. Projecting sympathy beyond a close group of that size is very hard for us to do. Dr. No says the world gives you options and you either win or lose depending upon your actions. I tend to agree but its not that easy is it Doc? Sometimes the world slaps you upside the head for no reason at all, just because it can. How much sympathy can one expect to receive from strangers? Perhaps this is the only good reason for religion, it creates a moral imperative to break free of our own selfish needs and actually help others. But it takes its price from you, it wants your soul.