I was watching a film tonight about ethics, and it posed a powerful question that stuck with me. Imagine you’re walking past a pond, and there, trapped in the middle, is a small child — stranded, alone, with no parents in sight. You look down and see you’re wearing your brand-new Gucci shoes. You hesitate, thinking about ruining them. But the child is sinking fast, slipping below the surface.

Put aside the cold-hearted psychopath — almost everyone would dive in without a second thought, soaking those expensive shoes to save that child.

Now, ask yourself this: if that same child was starving, trapped in poverty instead of water, would you be willing to give £1,000 to a charity fighting that hunger? Would you?

This question lays bare the shallow vanity of consumerism, exposing the gap between instinctive compassion and our everyday choices. It’s a brutal mirror reflecting how we value possessions over people.