Hickel mentions this parable in the book, The Divide

You see someone floating down a torrential river, screaming for help, afraid of drowning. You dive into the river, and using all your strength, swim to them and carry them to the bank. You’re entirely exhausted, but you feel great that you saved someone’s life.

Then you see another person floating down the river screaming. You use your last remaining ounces of energy to save this second person.

Then it happens again, a third person floats down. You realize it will keep happening; there aren’t enough of you to save everyone, and you need to decide where to spend your energy.

Do you spend it continually exhausting yourself saving each individual person? Or would a better use of your time, be to find out where and why people are falling into the river, and stop the problem at its source.

Serving the people is of course important, but if that aid is not a long-term solution, but a band-aid, then its not going to solve anything. Better to analyze and focus on the root problem.