#So does Tamlin treating her like a naive child whose opinions are impossible to realize.

[stromuprisahat]

“We don’t need a basket of fish,” I murmured. “Why make her suffer like that?” He flicked his eyes to where Ianthe had stepped aside to let the creature pass, a hand on the jewels of her belt. As if the female would snatch them right off her to use as payment. Tamlin frowned. “I cannot make exceptions. Once you do, everyone will demand the same treatment.” I clutched the arms of my chair, a small seat of oak beside his giant throne of carved roses. “But we don’t need these things. Why do we need a golden fleece, or a jar of jam? If she has no fish left, three days won’t make a difference. Why make her starve? Why not help her replenish the pond?” I’d spent enough years with an aching belly to not be able to drop it, to want to scream at the unfairness of it. His emerald eyes softened as if he read each thought on my face, but he said: “Because that’s the way it is. That’s the way my father did it, and his father, and the way my son shall do it.” He offered a smile, and reached for my hand. “Someday.” Someday. If we ever got married. If I ever became less of a burden, and we both escaped the shadows haunting us. We hadn’t broached the subject at all. Ianthe, mercifully, had not said anything, either. “We could still help her—find some way to keep that pond stocked.” “We have enough to deal with as it is. Giving handouts won’t help her in the long run.”

A Court of Mist and Fury- Chapter 8 (Sarah J. Maas)

We don't have time to feed or help poor people! It's better to let them fall into bigger debts, and kill them once they can't pay those!

Tamlin's so insecure he can't bring himself to even consider some form of change.