Infectious Generosity: 6 Ways to Give That Aren’t About Money Chris Anderson - Infectious Generosity
go to original January 24, 2024

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In his new book, Infectious Generosity, head of TED Chris Anderson shows that you don't need a checkbook to be a generous person — you can give gifts of time, energy, talent and connection. Here are six examples:

Shift Attention: Generosity starts when you pay attention to someone else. Have a meaningful connection with a person in need or spend thirty minutes researching a cause you think matters.

Build Bridges: Be brave and offer a hand of friendship to someone on the other side of an issue you care about.

Share Knowledge: If you possess knowledge others may benefit from, consider how you could share it. What may take you a few hours to prepare could light up someone's life.

Enable Connections: Help people connect by making an introduction. We all benefit from richer social circles.

Extend Hospitality: Host a dinner party and encourage deep conversation (Priya Parker's TED Talk can help you make the gathering more meaningful).

Create Enchantment: Artists — this one's for you. Create beauty in public spaces. It can be transformative for communities.

Want to learn more about these methods of generosity? Get your copy of Infectious Generosity.

Infectious Generosity is an initiative housed in TED and what we believe to be the ultimate idea worth spreading. We invite you to explore our book, chat with our benevolent AI called TIGG, or see and share resources at InfectiousGenerosity.org.

After a long career in journalism and publishing, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2002 and has developed it as a platform for identifying and disseminating ideas worth spreading.

Related: Asha Curran: How Acts of Kindness Sparked a Global Movement (Infectious Generosity)

Related: What We’re Getting Wrong in the Fight to End Hunger (TEDWomen)

Related: Has the Giving Crisis Reached the Point of No Return? (Philanthropy.com)