With the proverb ‘Charity begins at Home !’ most of us are familiar with. The proverb perhaps is intended to promote thoughts of charity among the people.After all man is a ‘social animal’ .He cannot live alone.A lone man himself cannot create a grove.Hence man’s relationship with his fellowbeings should necessarily be cordial and interdependant.
Man being a social animal should naturally be concerned with his fellow humanbeings.But all of a sudden, a man, whatever his calibre might be cannot become a philonthropist overnight.He should inculcate the habit of having a genuine concern for his fellow human beings from his home, from his neighbourhood.
Naturally at a home by their mutual love, trust and affection, a husband is affectionate towards his wife and children and vice versa.A wife sacrifices for the cause and welfare of the family, which includes her husband and her children.Similarly a husband devotes much of his time, energy, money that he earns for the welfare of his family, of course out of his love and affection and the bond being filial.
But it requires somewhat a broadmindedness, a genuine concern etc when a person is expected to extend his love and affection etc to his neigbourhood also, but the level or degree of your concern and affection may be varied and somewhat lesser in value.The reason being that in these modern days of stress and economic burden,what a person actually earn is just enough and sometimes it is insufficient for his family alone.
Even then a person is expected to show his genuine concern and interest in his neigbourhood and the larger interests of the society as well atleast to some extent.After all man has a well developped culture and civilisation and is not expected to be self-centered and crooked.
Therefore, it is the duty of a civilised man to evince some interest in his neigbourhood and the larger interests of the society as well.That is what the proverb, ‘charity begins at home’ connotes. It teaches us the social obligation, moral duty and the social responsibilty of every person towards the larger interests of the society.Therefore,every person in this civilised society should be genuinely concerned towards the general interests of the society and should be prepared to contribute something to the cause of it whenever he is called for.Thanks to the above said proverb that enlighten us in this regard.