Allegory of the long spoons

[1] The allegory can be summarized as follows: In each location, the inhabitants are given access to food, but the utensils are too unwieldy to serve oneself with.

Writer Dawn Eden suggests that this is a simple truth that can be easily forgotten by lonely people who cannot see their situation clearly.

[2] The long spoons allegory has become part of the folklore of several cultures, for example: Jewish,[3] Hindu,[4] Buddhist,[5] "Oriental" (Middle-Eastern)[6] and Christian.

[2] A scene in the 2013 thriller The East draws strong comparisons to the allegory when protagonist Sarah is depicted as selfish for neglecting to feed her adjacent diner while in a straitjacket.

[8] Caritas made a short animated video based on this allegory for their campaign "One human family, food for all".