Give me fish and feed me for a day. Teach me how to fish and I will be fed for the rest of my life.
There’s only one problem. Our systems and culture are built for efficiency, immediate results, and the commodification of goods and services. A single fish is easy to price, the transaction is immediate, and in its a measurable metric of accomplishment. Additionally, some conditions simply mandate feeding. There’s no time to teach.
Teaching requires time, and a different kind of relationship to the people your caring for. I don’t just want to see you fed, I want to see you feeding yourself (and others).
This isn’t an either or question. It’s more about knowing that they are different things, but both can happen at the same time.
Teaching is process. Feeding is content.
Provide both.