We have nothing to lose by being lavish. Quite the contrary. Happiness, serenity, self-confidence … It is also a matter of generosity.
Distribute clothes that we no longer wear, put yourselves at the service of an association or devote a small part of our budget to causes that are close to our hearts … There are a thousand and one ways to give. An altruistic act of excellence, donation also has the significant merit of enriching us from a personal point of view: it boosts self-esteem, adds meaning to life and could even extend it by a few years. Update with the latest scientific studies.
Generations are jubilation!
“Knowing how to give, few know it, is the secret to happiness,”. This is what an American study concluded, for which scientists gave 5 euros to students. Those who used this money to buy a small gift for someone were always happy the next day for their good deed; while those who spent it on themselves experienced only fleeting joy that quickly faded after their shopping.
Even if florists and chocolate makers sometimes add to it by constantly bragging about the “pleasure of giving”, we must recognize that science validates their position. Even toddlers, whose natural egocentricity is often pointed out, value sharing, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
During the study, children under the age of 2 were given treats, which were then tricked into giving in to a puppet. Their reactions were filmed and their happiness rated on a scale of 1 to 7: not only did they enjoy giving more than receiving, but their bliss was more intense if they distributed their own goodies to the puppet themselves, rather than if it was the host who gave it to him directly.
Is the pleasure of gratification innate? From the start of life, this act is in any case experienced as an enriching and pleasant emotional experience, much more than as a deprivation.
Intention matters!
Generosity makes you happy. And our brain testifies to it. Contentment is more important in individuals with altruistic behavior, according to an international team of neurologists (from the universities of Lübeck and Zurich, and the Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago) who studied, in 2017, the brain activities that are involved in making the donation decision.
It would even be enough simply to consider a few gifts to experience this well-being. “It is remarkable that the only intention generates a neural modification, even before it is put into practice”, comments Dr Philippe Tobler of the University of Zurich.
Moreover, you have undoubtedly already experienced it: when you motivate yourself (with difficulty) to sort through your clothes or your books, the prospect that they are useful to others puts you in joy (and in action).
Caring for others and their cholesterol!
While it warms the heart, generosity can also protect it. Canadian researchers at the University of British Columbia analyzed the impact of altruism on the health of 106 adolescents. For six months, half of them gave an hour of their time each week to help struggling school children.
Then the scientists measured for all the participants, between the beginning and the end of the semester, the evolution of different markers of cardiovascular risks (body mass index, cholesterol level, etc.), which were found to be lower among those who had played the volunteer teachers. While doing service may be “wasting” a few hours of our precious time, it could also save us a few years of life.
Offer and … help yourself in passing!
Being generous also helps boost your self-esteem, to see yourself – and to show yourself – in a more positive light. Social recognition would even play a preponderant role, according to a research thesis carried out at the Catholic University of Louvain in 2012.
“It has been proven that some people make donations to be recognized for their generous act. Other studies have shown that anonymity reduces donations,” says author Iris Felten. Give, okay, but let it be known! It’s human…
Exchange of good practices!
Likewise, when we give a carefully chosen present, we hope for a return: the pleasure of the one who opens it. Fortunately, researchers come to our rescue by alerting us to the disconnect that sometimes exists between the motivations of donors and the expectations of recipients.
“The giver wants to create a ‘wow’ in the recipient, with a gift that can be appreciated immediately, while the person who receives it is more interested in a gift that has value over time,” emphasizes the American researcher Jeffrey Galak, author of a study published in 2016.
Do not bet everything on the element of surprise, also think about the long term. This is arguably the safest way to get a “thank you” that is not just a salutation.
Reference: http://www.propheticcrossroads.com/home/14-reasons-to-be-generous
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
