This is CHRISTMAS, the season of perpetual HOPE.
I don't care if I have to get out there and hitchhike!
I'm going to work at the soup kitchen this season!
Howdy philanthropists, Trace here giving you some DNews for free.
Today, is Christmas Eve-eve.
During the holiday season some people wanna come out to the coast... have a few laughs,
and others want to take an old blanket out of the closet and say 'Here!' -- but, what
makes people want to do the second one?
In 2014, Americans gave 258 billion 510 million dollars to charities -- that's 72 percent
of all charitable US giving according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics.
All foundations, corporations, and bequests, when combined --bequests by the way are when
someone dies and leaves their money to charity -- that didn't even hit 100 billion dollars!
People who made between 5 and 10 million dollars gave away 3.7 percent of their gross income,
on average, and people who made 45 to 50-thousand: 4 percent!
Sure, they gave less money, but 4 percent of 50,000 has way more impact on them relative
to the amount of disposable income they require to meet their basic needs like rent, transportation,
groceries and so on.
In 1989, economics professor Alvaro Sandroni created the "warm glow" theory of giving -- people
who give feel warm inside.
It sounds touchy-feely, but he studied economics, so he grabbed his graph paper and he and a
partner wrote a mathematical proof in 2009.
The idea being we donate to charity because it helps them, but also: it helps us!
It makes us feel better.
Also in 2009, a Harvard Business School study looked at why people give their hard-earned
money to charity…
Groups of students were prompted to recall happy or sad memories, then told they could
give money to other students.
Those who'd been prompted with happy memories, they gave more, and they felt happier!
In other words: happy people give more to others and giving to charity causes happiness
in the giver!
When people are happy, they pay it forward, they try to make other people happy (perhaps
by giving to charity), but they'll also be more charitable in their day-to-day life.
Another study from the Harvard Business Review claimed if you want the "biggest payoff" from
an unexpected windfall of 20-dollars, you should give it away.
You'll feel better about it.
And this is reflected in our physiology!
Using fMRI scans, research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
found the orbitofrontal, subgenual and lateral orbitofrontal areas of the brain get a lot
of blood flow when people are being charitable.
And another study in Nature Neuroscience identified the right posterior superior temporal cortex
as an active region during charity!
These areas are associated with [quote] "primitive mechanisms of social attachment and aversion!"
and [quote] "perception of agency," the idea that you can guess the intent of another's
action.
Basically, altruism helps we social advanced apes work and stick together, and it's reinforced
by making us feel good -- that "warm glow" that Sandroni identified!
And, numerous studies seem to show that when one person behaves generously, it inspires
others to behave generously later; to pass it on.
But to bring it all back, why does this happen during the holidays?
According to that same National Center for Charitable Statistics review, a quarter to
half of all giving happens between October and December!
Prosaically, it is the end of a tax year, but that alone can't explain all the giving!
Some sociologists think it's because there are simply an "abundance of opportunities,"
to give or because people tend to ask for charity at that time of year.
But, it could also be a charitable arms race… if you see someone benefiting others, it makes
you want to pay it forward too.
Our social ape past is still there, under the surface, making us want to help our fellow
apes.
So, go out and give an advanced primate some love this season, you'll feel better for it.
We would like to thank our sponsor, Kay Jewelers, for helping us make this episode.
For 100 years, every kiss begins with Kay.
Altruism, or being charitable, is a strange behavior to see in animals.
It might not make evolutionary sense to help your fellow whale, or shark, or whatever--
but it's important!
Jules looks into it here…
Do you give to charity?
or Volunteer?
Help out at church, school, or Scouts?
Anything?
Let us know in the comments and take a sec please and subscribe.
Thank you.