{"id":1559,"date":"2009-11-13T11:16:39","date_gmt":"2009-11-13T15:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/becomingblog.wpengine.com\/?p=1559"},"modified":"2024-03-13T10:14:57","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T17:14:57","slug":"benefits-of-generosity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/benefits-of-generosity\/","title":{"rendered":"benefits of generosity"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1565  aligncenter\" title=\"generosity\" src=\"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/generosity-300x176.jpg\" alt=\"generosity\" width=\"300\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/generosity-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/generosity.jpg 464w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There is no reason to believe that becoming minimalist will make one more generous. I do not contend that minimalists are, by definition, better than others or more giving than others.<\/p>\n<p>However, I do believe that a minimalist lifestyle offers more opportunity for one to be generous. There are <a title=\"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/benefit-financially-support-other-causes\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/benefit-financially-support-other-causes\/\">financial freedoms<\/a> that accompany minimalism as well as more opportunities for one to invest their time. With that in mind, I was surprised to see so much scientific data supporting something that I have always believed: generous people are happier people.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Generosity makes you happier. Researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, working on a new collaborative project with the National Institute on Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging\u00a0have discovered that there is a physiological basis for the warm glow that seems often to accompany altruistic giving.\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/doc\/1G2-3045300912.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/doc\/1G2-3045300912.html\">source.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Generosity makes you healthier. When you do something good for another person, you encourage the release of endorphins (otherwise known as the \u201cfeel good\u201d chemicals) in your body which brings about a &#8220;helper&#8217;s high&#8221; and helps fight stress. Research has also proven that having a generous attitude greatly improves one\u2019s immune system, extends a person\u2019s lifespan, and acts as antidote to pain.\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/soundmedicine.iu.edu\/segment\/319\/redirect?seg=319\" href=\"http:\/\/soundmedicine.iu.edu\/segment\/319\/redirect?seg=319\">source.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Generosity increases your\u00a0life satisfaction. There is\u00a0robust evidence that volunteers are more satisfied with their life than non-volunteers.\u00a0 source.<\/li>\n<li>Generosity generates happiness and\u00a0happiness generates generosity. Thereby, fueling each in other in a circular fashion. Prosocial use of your money\/time results in feelings of happiness which are likely to lead to future similar choices.\u00a0<a title=\"http:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/research\/pdf\/10-012.pdf\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/research\/pdf\/10-012.pdf\">source.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Generosity improves your relationship with people. People always enjoy the\u00a0company of a generous giver to the company of a selfish hoarder. People are naturally attracted towards\u00a0others who have an open heart to share with others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How would you rate your life today? Do you need a boost of well-being, happiness, or self-esteem? If so, have you considered donating your time or giving away some money\u00a0this weekend to a social cause you believe in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no reason to believe that becoming minimalist will make one more generous. I do not contend that minimalists are, by definition, better than others or more giving than others. However, I do believe that a minimalist lifestyle offers more opportunity for one to be generous. There are financial freedoms that accompany minimalism as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[442],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>benefits of generosity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/benefits-of-generosity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"benefits of generosity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is no reason to believe that becoming minimalist will make one more generous. 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