Giving and Receiving
Posted 12-09-2009 at 08:38 PM by goldenmyst
I am a narcissist. I feed my hunger for materialistic goods and service as much as any other suburban American.
However, I do a lot of service work for friends. Today I took a friend of a friend to cash a large check and buy a flat screen TV. I helped her set up the TV and transport her old one to my disabled friend Esperanza. I felt more pleasure by far providing assistance to my friend than buying for myself. I often wonder where my time goes having spent the day on errands of mercy. Yet I also anticipate that when I'm old, older, I'll look back on these times as the golden years. One day I'll be too feeble or bereft of transportation to go on these missions. However, the joy I feel from altruism out shines any consumerist pursuit I may entertain.
I can't quite put my finger on why my brain responds so much more favorably to helping as opposed to being helped. Yet the hug Esperanza gave me after installing her TV was the highlight of my week.
This is not to diminish the pleasures of consumerism. However, acquiring merchandise balanced by helping those in need may be more rewarding than solely riding the retail bandwagon.
John
However, I do a lot of service work for friends. Today I took a friend of a friend to cash a large check and buy a flat screen TV. I helped her set up the TV and transport her old one to my disabled friend Esperanza. I felt more pleasure by far providing assistance to my friend than buying for myself. I often wonder where my time goes having spent the day on errands of mercy. Yet I also anticipate that when I'm old, older, I'll look back on these times as the golden years. One day I'll be too feeble or bereft of transportation to go on these missions. However, the joy I feel from altruism out shines any consumerist pursuit I may entertain.
I can't quite put my finger on why my brain responds so much more favorably to helping as opposed to being helped. Yet the hug Esperanza gave me after installing her TV was the highlight of my week.
This is not to diminish the pleasures of consumerism. However, acquiring merchandise balanced by helping those in need may be more rewarding than solely riding the retail bandwagon.
John
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Comments
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i agree, it often feels better to give than to receive
Posted 12-09-2009 at 09:11 PM by green 
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We give from a position of strength, John, whereas we receive from a position of weakness. Perhaps an over simplification, but it's a general truth. Whoever said "It's more blessed to give than to receive" was stating a psychological fact as much as advocating a virtue. Thanks for sharing this
tonyPosted 12-10-2009 at 03:34 PM by tony schofield
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