Читать книгу Achieving Excellence in Fundraising - Группа авторов - Страница 98

Research finds that giving to oneself quickly loses its luster, whereas giving to others has lasting happiness‐boosting power. Many enjoyable activities lose some of their pleasure when repeated. But when researchers compared the experience of giving money away repeatedly (up to 10 times) versus the experience of receiving it, they found that the joy people experienced from getting was quick to fade with repetition. However, the joy of giving had staying power and was less likely to fade over time.

Several studies confirm that giving is associated with long‐lasting good feelings. For example, people who were asked to regularly and frequently do small kind acts for others felt happier up to two months later. There are similar effects of giving money: one study found that people who spent more of their employment bonus on others felt happier up to two months later, while another found that participants who donated more to charity at one time were happier up to nine years later.