The Joy of Giving (Psychology of Giving)

It has been a known psychological fact that people tend to give more when they are motivated to do so. Yeah, I also agree with it but motivation can come in various forms. Many may be looking at the immediate (and material) rewards but beyond that, there is the reward that will be delivered by posterity. This reward does not come in the immediate but makes the greatest impact. If you only focus on the immediate rewards for doing good, then you have already lost the motivation you need to do good.

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The name John D. Rockefeller rings a bell right? Yeah, he's known for his massive wealth and perhaps the first United States billionaire in the recorded history, but do you also know that, at a point, he parted with majority of his wealth for humanity and to charity? He did that, not because he was rich but because he saw the need of humanity and it was the motivation he needed to give. You see, motivation comes in various forms just like the case of John D. Rockefeller.

A particular research was done by Global Giving and they found out that motivation makes people to give but they also pointed out the fact that more people tend to be tilted towards the immediate rewards.

In the aspect of giving, however, the quantity may not be as important as the quality. Take for example: When someone that is worth over $1bn gives $1k and another person that is worth barely $500 gives $50, who do you think gave more? You see, just like motivation of giving varies, quality of giving also varies. This is also the reason many people can give without loving or even having a hearth for humanity but the truth is, you can't love and you can't have a heart for humanity without giving.

In giving, always learn to give with a smile. We talked about the psychology of Smile a few days back and it applies to giving too. Remember, you were not coaxed to give, so do it joyfully to have the benefits of giving. Have you ever seen a farmer that quarrels with his seed while planting? He just sows it and leaves with the hope that a day of harvest is coming. The same thing happens here; no good deed is ever lost. Somehow and someday, it'll speak.

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The story of Dr. Michael Shannon is a very good example of this. He saved the life of a little baby that was born premature. He had to work himself out just to save the boy even after he was given a very slim chance of survival. After about three decades, the little boy was now grow and had chosen a career in fire fighting as a paramedic. On a particular day at duty, he went to rescue a man in a burning SUV. The man already lost consciousness but he had to resuscitate him with the "jaw of life". Guess what, it was that same doctor that had saved his life when he was little.

You see, if the doctor has not put in all of himself to save the boy, the point where the boy would save the doctor would have not existed and the doctor would have died. You don't know what you stand to lose simply by not doing good. Any opportunity you have to do good, just draw the motivation that you are sowing into the future and seize the opportunity. Doing good always pays.

Thanks for reading