There’s a thought provoking post over at the Kiva Fellows Blog by Rob C. Here is one excerpt that got me thinking:

One day Sulton Kurbonov stopped at the MicroInvest office to make a loan payment and I had a chance to meet with this soft-spoken father of seven.  He explained that he had taken out a loan to purchase a color television set and my initial reaction was one of disdain.  You’re struggling to make ends meet yet you’re taking out loans to buy a television?

After some reflection I realized what a patronizing attitude I had taken.   Here’s a man who has lived honestly and worked hard for more than 30 years for little reward other than the sustenance of his family.   Is he entitled to allocate some of his income for entertainment?   And is he really much different than those of us who finance a car we couldn’t afford to buy in cash?

It’s fairly easy to jump to conclusions based on little but false assumptions, but until you know the facts and have a chance to think about an issue from both sides, you are in no position to judge anyone about anything.