Say one word about the social responsibility that the rich have towards the poor and out comes someone with that same tired old argument - I became rich through my own efforts. Why should I help those who did not? What do I owe to the poor?

You see beta... You aren't Rajinikanth.

Nobody in the history of the world became what they are without the help of others. Nobody is a one-man-army. Everybody grew as a result of the efforts of communities.

When rich people say they got rich through nothing but their own blood and sweat, they sound like teenagers who become motivational gurus on the internet while feeding themselves with their parents' money. The parents are invisible. As are the hordes of people whose labour helped you "get where you are".

Your view - that you owe the world nothing - stems from the illusion that you are a self-made man. Nobody is a self-made man. Every man, woman, and child is made by many. Some acknowledge this and know that without the contributions of many, they wouldn't have made it.

Others like to pretend otherwise, because responsibility is a heavy burden to bear and because it is much easier to label the poor lazy and stupid. Because if they're not lazy and stupid, it follows that the lacks they suffer from - low wages, homelessness, destitution etc. - are things you should probably have to do something about. And you don't want to, right?

The illusion of you being a self-made man is a tool to protect you from having to be responsible.