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Reader question: Please explain “share and share alike” in the following passages: Greed comes from fear of not having enough. You want to hoard things to make sure that you can make it through the next famine. People don’t like greed in others because it doesn’t seem fair. We should all share and share alike so more of us will get through the next famine. My comments: You share with me and I’ll share with you likewise. Your “share” and my “share” are “alike”. “Share and share alike” is an expression that most often makes an appearance in a person’s will stipulating that, upon death, their children will share and share alike the money they left in the bank, i.e. equally. If they have three children and 60,000 dollars in the bank, then each child is to receive 20,000 dollars. Each and every child will get the exact same amount. In this case, share and share alike means exactly what it appears to mean. After all, all heirs are created equal, if I do say so, be they male or female, young or old, healthy or handicapped. Heir and heir alike, in other words. Ideally, all household disputes should be handled this way, with each and every member being treated equally. That’s not the reality, to be sure but, still, ideally everybody should be treated fairly and equally. Likewise in a community, again ideally, a sharing mentality on an everybody-being-equal footing goes a long way, especially during times when the going gets tough. | 
