The Science Of Giving: Why Altruism Makes Us Happy David Nield - AskMen.com
go to original November 21, 2014

If you need to cheer yourself up, donating to a good cause likely won't be the first thing to come to mind. Some online retail therapy, a well-earned holiday or a night on the town are the more conventional ways of spending money to boost our happiness, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest that giving to others can do wonders for our own sense of well-being. To put it another way: The more we give, the more we get back.

We don't even need to give a lot; It's the act rather than the amount that matters. Therefore, those of us who don't quite pull in the level of wealth of a George Clooney or a Brad Pitt can still get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. But why is philanthropy so rewarding? And is it always a fail-safe way of getting a boost of good vibes?

Being generous with our money is closely tied to the feelings of joy we get from watching one of our children unwrap a present — the emotional connection is not quite as strong when you hand over a few dollars to a local charity, but the same basic principles are at play.

From a Harvard Business School report published this year: "Although a great deal of research has shown that people with more money are somewhat happier than people with less money, our research demonstrates that how people spend their money also matters for their happiness. In particular, both correlational and experimental studies have shown that people who spend money on others report more happiness."

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