Ever heard the famous line “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving”? These eight reasons will sure inspire you to give it some thought.
1. You Will Be Spreading Kindness and Happiness
The concept of being generous to a stranger, in the hope they will pass on the kindness to someone else, who in turn may also be moved to pass on the kindness to another person is called “paying it forward”, which may in turn create a domino effect. One man who accepted the chocolates that someone gave him had this to say:
It’s a great thing that people are spreading love instead of hate
2. You May Make Somebody’s Day
An American woman was at a drive-through coffee shop when she realised that the person ahead had already settled her bill. She was so pleased, and it made her day, that someone who did not know her prior had taken the time to think of her.
3. You Can Do So Much with Very Little
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most famous proponents of the idea. While lending some money to a friend, he was reputed to have written:
I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you; when you meet with another honest man in similar distress, you must pay me by lending this sum to him.
This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.
Today, “paying it forward” has become a popular and far-reaching movement. But often it is the smaller deeds that are most touching. Like that of Josh Brown:
A 12-year-old who found a stranger’s lost phone on a train. The owner was so pleased she offered him a small reward for the trouble. Instead, he sent a note attached to the returned phone saying:
Don’t worry about the money, just do something nice for someone else.
4. You May be Happier for It
You may not get an immediate payback (besides the “giver’s glow”), but people like Brown tend to reap their rewards in terms of general life satisfaction. For those who feel like their lives lack meaning, it gives them a way to contribute back to society – and that makes them feel good, like they are something useful.
5. You Are Not Alone
Across all countries – rich or poor, and in every continent – people who gave more tended to be happier people. For this reason, the joy of giving appears to be a universal trait that lies at the core of human nature, independent of your culture.
6. Your Health is Better For It
Taking time to help others may even protect you from disease. Over a 30-year study, women who volunteered for a charity were 16% less likely to suffer a major illness during that period – perhaps because it lowers stress levels, which may also in turn, boost the immune system.
7. It Can Help Make You a Better Person
Even though these random acts of kindness may seem artificial to start with, there is some evidence that they can permanently change you for the better – so that kindness becomes normal to you.
You can cultivate habits of virtue
…says David Rand at Yale University, who has found that subjects encouraged to perform good deeds tend to be kinder in subsequent tasks.
8. Kindness Doesn’t Always Involve Money
Start with something in your comfort zone, maybe just smiling at someone in the street, talking nicely to shop assistants, saying kind and genuinely felt words to people, or leaving a motivational message for a stranger
If you are inspired to give it a go, remember that it takes some courage and guts. For this reason, you may want to set the bar low at the beginning by starting small, and within your comfort zone.
As a final thought, being kind can be a reward in and of itself, there doesn’t always have to be ulterior motive. You can be kind just for the sake of being nice.
Source: BBC Future
