To tell which countries have the most generous people, charities created the World Giving Index, which combines responses to samples of people about whether they gave money to a charity, did some free work for a community organization, or helped a stranger in the past month. Which country is tops?
Australia — where I live. Followed by New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, the U.S., Netherlands, and the UK. All countries with pretty happy people. You can see the giving and happiness rates of many countries at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Giving_Index.
Is it a coincidence that generous people are happy people? Does happiness lead to giving? Does giving lead to happiness? These are questions for sociologists and psychologists. At the level of individuals, there is evidence showing effects in both directions. The same is likely true at the country level.
Living in a generous, happy country is probably good for a person due to the potential for positive interactions with others and to the impact of seeing positive models.
So, have you helped a stranger lately? Give money to a charity? Contributed your time to a community organization?
This past month I helped a student find a room she was seeking. I provide free guidance to volunteers at Lifeline, a charitable organization. I have not donated any money to charity in the past month though. I may be about average for Australia. I can do better. Maybe you can too.
John Malouff, PhD, JD
Assoc Professor of Psychology
I tend to think of giving as my means of being intelligently selfish. I know it increases my feelings of happiness and well-being but I don’t really know why. I suspect though that it is about historical adaptivity. Co-operation gave us an enhanced survival probability. Maybe when I give it aligns with something primitive or essential in humanness. I
My wife and I took on a profoundly physically disabled foster-child many years ago. He is about to transition from our care. For the whole time with him life has been a real struggle. Watching his pain, going through real “howling at the moon” hardship and getting so close to the limits of what we were capable of giving….. When I look at this objectively it doesn’t make sense. It underlines for me a life principle though….that all truly valuable life experiences are simultaneously heaven and hell. Anyone who has brought a sick child home from hospital knows this. Our fostering experience has been really hard but has also been the source of immeasurable wonderful joy.
If I had my life again I would elect the suffering that goes with it every time. Is that being selfish?
Hi Mike. A person may die, but a heroic deed lives forever. If no one ever said that, I claim it as my own.