or: Confessions of an atheist economist.
There I was earlier walking to the supermarket after a day largely spent working when I noticed that the homeless man who lives near me was settling down in his usual evening spot. I sometimes chat with him and give him some money. Apparently one of his ancestors - I think Andrew Jackson - came from Australia and is on a US banknote. I couldn't verify although wikipedia doesn't mention any Australian links to Jackson.
In any case, I decided that I would bring him back some hot food from the shop. What an idiot! How did I even have this reflex after so many years? What makes me to qualified to decide on his behalf that what would be best for him was some hot food? Maybe he had already eaten. Maybe not. But what does it matter? If he judges he wants a beer* then who am I to say that his happiness is best served by something else I judge to be best for him? That and I have changed his consumption bundle given by his budget constraint and brought him onto a lower indifference curve with less utility than if I had given him cash. If you see what I mean.
This being, I decided to give him cash on the way back. And then I made my second mistake. Not of an economist but of an out and proud atheist. He was asleep (or at least curled up) so I left him money inside the only heavy book that he keeps near his bed: his bible. Foooooool! He is going to wake up in the morning and see money in his bible. A miracle for which he will no doubt thank some non-existent entity playing with his mind. God does indeed work in mysterious ways.
*On the way back, I had some nice Leffe that I would have happily shared with him.
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