Most of us agree that if we saw a small child drowning in a shallow pond, we’d try to save them. After all, ruined shoes or a missed meeting are a small price to pay for a human life. And yet, metaphorically speaking, there are children drowning all around us every day. Millions die every year from preventable diseases when the measures that could save them cost far less than a pair of shoes. Why are we any less inclined to intervene on their behalf?