Generosity: October 2023

This month, we're delving deep into the practices of generosity by extending care to others. Below are three valuable resources that will inspire, educate, and support your development of generosity. First, explore the roots of generosity in "The Science of Generosity," a White Paper by Summer Allen. Then, reflect with the Flourish Foundation's meditation on generosity, where you'll learn how to extend your abundance in various forms, be it materials, money, or time, fostering a more compassionate and kind world. Lastly, don't miss "Seven Tips for Fostering Generosity" from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which provides insight into the value of giving, models of generosity, and local and global connectedness. Together, let's extend our generosity to ourselves, our communities, and our world, making it a better place through compassionate actions.

In the spirit of boundless generosity,

Caitlin Hegwood

One of my favorite quotes:

In the order of nature, we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody." 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Explore generosity with this talk and guided meditation on Insight Timer: https://insig.ht/x24Cf3sftDb 

Summer Allen’s White Paper, The Science of Generosity

UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center’s 7 Tips for Fostering Generosity

If you received $10,000 from a wealthy donor with no strings attached, how would you choose to spend it? This actually happened to 200 people from a diverse spread of countries. Researchers studied what they did with that money, and the recently released findings suggest humans are inherently generous—no matter their economic status—when given the opportunity. The participants came from three low-income countries (Indonesia, Brazil, and Kenya) and four high-income countries (Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States). “On average, participants spent over $6,400 on purchases that benefited others, including nearly $1,700 on donations to charity, suggesting that humans exhibit remarkable generosity even when the stakes are high.” Researchers also tested whether participants would give more to charity if they could enhance their reputation by blasting the news on social media. Half of participants were asked to share their spending decisions publicly on X (formerly Twitter) and the other half were asked to keep it private. Surprisingly, generous spending was similar between the groups. I’m inspired by these findings. When I grow up, I want to be a philanthropist who donates land to create parks for the enjoyment of all. For now, I can offer my time and presence to loved ones and strangers in need. What about you?