In a Bangkok neighborhood, a desperate boy stole boxes of painkillers for his sick mother. The pharmacist discovered him, grabbed him by the arm and hit him, causing a huge uproar that attracted the attention of the neighbors.
The owner of a small restaurant located just opposite witnessed the whole scene. However, instead of taking him for a common criminal, he approached the boy to ask him why he had stolen. The boy told him that his mother was sick, his head was down and he was visibly ashamed of what he had just done. The man then took money from his pocket and paid the pharmacist for the medicines. He gave them to the boy, along with a vegetable broth.
Thirty years later, the restaurant owner fainted and hit his head on a curb as he fell. His condition was serious and he needed surgery, but his daughter did not have the money to pay for it. Her father had never been greedy and had not amassed a great fortune. In her despair, she thought that if he had been less generous and thought more about himself, perhaps he would have had the money to pay for the hospital now.
However, when he was at the brink of despair, he received a document that said: “all medical expenses have been settled with 3 boxes of painkillers and a vegetable broth.”
The boy who had stolen the medicine for his mother had become a doctor, he worked in that hospital and when he found out about the situation of the old man who had helped him, he decided to return the gesture of generosity.
This is the story told in an advertising video called “Giving,” from a Thai telephone company, which attempts to motivate people to embrace generosity.
The best remedy for depression and stress
The benefits of generosity have been studied in the laboratory and are beyond doubt. Research conducted at the University of Michigan analyzed 423 elderly couples over a five-year period. It was discovered that life expectancy doubled for those who were involved in volunteering or provided emotional support.
Another study, this time conducted at the University of Buffalo, analyzed the stressful events that 846 people were subjected to over a five-year period. At the end of the research, these psychologists were able to observe that those who were accustomed to helping others suffered less stress and had a stronger immune system.
The cherry on the cake comes from an analysis carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester. These psychologists analysed a total of 74 studies and concluded that generosity and volunteering activities could prevent depression and even alleviate its symptoms once it had set in. In fact, they concluded that generosity is much more effective than psychotherapy in combating depression.
How to be more generous?
In a society like ours, which promotes individualistic values and competition, generosity is not an everyday occurrence. However, we can learn to be generous. In fact, a very interesting study conducted at Harvard University gives us wonderful insight into how we decide whether to be generous or act more selfishly.
2,000 people from around the world participated in this experiment. Groups of four people were formed and asked to donate part of what they had been paid to participate in the experiment. The money would be invested in a group project.
The dilemma was that what was a good investment for the group was not a good investment for each individual. In some cases they were asked to decide immediately and in other cases they were given more time to evaluate their options.
At this point, psychologists noticed that when we let ourselves be carried away by our first impulse, we tend to think more about others and be generous. However, if we stop to think, we will find reasons not to help. In fact, in the experiment it was found that it only takes 10 seconds to change our mind and make reason silence that first impulse of generosity.
67% of people who decided immediately gave away some of their money. When given more time to think, only 53% agreed to donate. This is a significant difference, especially considering that the only factor that has changed is the time frame.
This experiment showed that when we are faced with a situation in which we must put the interests of another person first, two brain systems are activated: one is fast and intuitive and drives us to cooperate and be generous, the other is slower and more rational and leads us to act more selfishly. Therefore, if you want to change your habits and act more generously, let yourself be guided more often by that first impulse.
Remember that generosity doesn’t just mean donating or volunteering, it also means providing emotional support. It’s not always within our reach to make grand gestures, but small, everyday gestures can help people and make their world a better place.
Sources:
Coventry, PA (2014) Characteristics of Effective Collaborative Care for Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression of 74 Randomized Controlled Trials. PLoSOne ; 9(9).
Solis, M. (2013) Rational Thought Can Override a Generous Intuition. Scientific American Mind 24(14).
Poulin, M.J. et. Al. (2013) Giving to Others and the Association Between Stress and Mortality. Am J Public Health ; 103(9): 1649–1655.
Brown, SL et. Al. (2003) Providing Social Support May Be More Beneficial Than Receiving It. Results From a Prospective Study of Mortality. Psychological Science ; 14(4): 320-327.
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