Someplace a higher value on bigger (or faster) boats than others do. Someplace a higher value on combating malaria than others. Someplace a higher value on supporting a symphony orchestra or a college or a church than others do. You know this, of course. This concept is not limited to the Ultra Boat-wealthy. Some people spend money on a non-essential grande at Starbucks rather than donating to malaria as well.

Now how does one form one’s priorities? It is the sum of all their life experiences, what they’ve seen, heard, and read. If you dug deeper, I suspect that those who spend on malaria probably were pitched the idea by someone who made a persuasive presentation on how (hypothetically) the issue was critical, and (unlike so many other development projects) something where one could actually make an impact.