Most of us have heard the phrase, “it’s better to give than to receive,” and while this well-known statement encourages selflessness, it omits one very important fact. Any time we give without the expectation of receiving something in return, we receive something in return…
In fact, we receive three things in return - and Harvard University seems to know about them all…
The 1st Thing: Happiness
Imagine being handed a $20 bill with directions to either keep it and spend it on yourself or give it to someone else for their benefit. Which decision do you believe would make you happier?
If you’re like Jeff and Julia, the charitable couple from our previous article, you’d give the $20 away and feel happier, but could that be the case for most people?
In 2008, Harvard’s Michael Norton and his colleagues put this concept to the test. They gave participants an envelope containing money and randomly assigned them a task of either spending the enclosed amount on themselves or on someone else by the end of the day. The same participants were asked to rate their happiness before and after the experiment to determine whether happiness increased, decreased, or remained unchanged.
The evidence was undeniable. The participants that gave the money to others experienced the most significant boost in happiness when compared to those that spent the money on themselves.
Scientists believe that philanthropic behavior positively impacts the brain by releasing endorphins, resulting in a euphoric feeling known as “helper’s high.” National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the same part of the brain that triggers a positive sensation from pleasurable activities reacts favorably when giving money to charity.
Charitable giving and its benefits aren’t restricted to donations of money either. Time, our most valuable resource, can also be given in exchange for happiness. According to a survey overseen by Harvard University researchers, people who contributed time or money were 42% likelier to be happy than those who didn’t.
The 2nd Thing: Health
Due to the benefits of charitable contributions being rooted in our biology, it may be no surprise that in addition to happiness, our health is often positively impacted by giving.
Volunteering, whether it involves caring for animals at a local animal clinic or serving dinner at a homeless shelter, will not only improve the lives of those you’re helping, but also lengthen yours. Although a wide range of research links altruism to better health, one study seems to stand above the rest due to its massive number of participants and long testing duration.
A Harvard University research group led by Eric S. Kim, Ph, D., selected nearly 13,000 people over the age of 50 at random and tracked their habits for four years. They used surveys, interviews, and health screenings to gauge changes throughout the study and evaluated the impacts of volunteering on 34 different physical and mental health metrics.
The results of the study showed that participants who volunteered at least 100 hours per year had a reduced risk of mortality when compared to those who didn’t regularly volunteer. Many of these volunteers felt a sense of purpose in aiding others, which helped shield them from feelings of loneliness and depression. More focus on their own well-being was a byproduct of regularly helping others.
The 3rd Thing: Wealth
In the article, entitled “Why Giving Matters,” American Author and Public Speaker, Arthur Brooks, references our third and final Harvard study — One that collected data from 30,000 American families with various backgrounds, beliefs, income levels, and charitable habits. The data from this study allowed Brooks to learn bout the relationship between wealth and charitable giving.
After months of inspection, Brooks concluded that when the wealth of families grows, charitable donations increase - an intuitive discovery. What was surprising in his analysis, however, was that when people contributed more to charity, they tended to prosper more. In fact, for every $1 in charitable giving, family income increased by $3.75.
A shocked and confused Brooks ran the numbers again, conducted new experiments, and collected new data. He looked to see if there was a similar impact when volunteering or donating blood. He even examined the average American family over a 50-year span and compared it to the prosperity of the country. His initial discovery was confirmed in each and every occasion.
A curious Brooks searched for answers. Was wealth increasing charitable donations or were charitable donations increasing wealth?
The conclusion: Both.
An inquisitive Brooks investigated the cause of the counterintuitive results and, with the help of a colleague who specialized in the psychology of charitable giving, concluded that those who give are happier and happy people are more productive, more likely to be hired, and more often seen as effective leaders. All prerequisites for greater prosperity.
As you can see, through Harvard’s many studies, giving often results in receiving. I guess you could say, charity is the gift that keeps on giving.
Photo Credit:
https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=gift+in+hand
https://www.walkinmyshoes.ie/library/blogs-and-articles/2023/march/meaning-of-happiness
https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/cash-in-hand.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=health+heart&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjp0KSJ4fX_AhWVMVkFHcuFBe0Q2-cCegQIABAD&oq=health+heart&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgQIABADOgoIABCKBRCxAxBDOgcIABCKBRBDOggIABCABBCxA1CzBlikD2C8EmgCcAB4AIABWIgB8gKSAQE1mAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=KG-kZOmcNJXj5NoPy4uW6A4&bih=550&biw=375&client=safari&hl=en-us#imgrc=7nHZA8F2epuNnM
Its not a 'contract' as some philosophers have suggested, giving is a gladness of the heart, that keeps expanding. Thanks for this post.
<< In fact, for every $1 in charitable giving, family income increased by $3.75. >>
This is another prime example of how to lie with statistics. I do not question the data themselves; doubtless those who gave $1 saw their incomes increase. However, the statement does not in any way establish causality or correlation. Perhaps those who were previously disinclined to give (or give much) suddenly realized that their circumstances had changed enormously (e.g., through a promotion on the job; a windfall on the stock market; a best-selling book; et al.). Knowing they would be that much better off in near future, they might then have felt more inclined to donate, and before long they had reaped the anticipated profits.
Bottom line: those who gave that $1 to a charitable cause may have generated good karma, but my "inner skeptic" remains unconvinced that they generated additional income as a result of their actions.