“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
The Acts of the Apostles, 1611 · Acts 20:35, King James Version, Paul quoting Jesus
Chapter 2
On Giving
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
The Book of Proverbs, 1611 · Proverbs 11:24, King James Version
“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.”
The Book of Proverbs, 1611 · Proverbs 3:27, King James Version
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
The Book of Ecclesiastes, 1611 · Ecclesiastes 11:1, King James Version
“Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.”
The Book of Ecclesiastes, 1611 · Ecclesiastes 11:2, King James Version
“The sage does not accumulate for himself. The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself.”
Laozi, c. 400 BC · Chinese sage, in the closing chapter of the Tao Te Ching
“A wise man rejoices in liberality, and through it becomes blessed in the other world.”
The Dhammapada, c. 300 BC · verse 177, from the Buddhist canon
“Rings and other jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844 · American essayist, from the essay Gifts
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Kahlil Gibran, 1923 · Lebanese American poet, from The Prophet
“There are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.”
Kahlil Gibran, 1923 · Lebanese American poet, from The Prophet
Across three studies, people who spent money on someone else ended up happier than people who spent the same amount on themselves.
Elizabeth Dunn, Lara Aknin and Michael Norton, 2008 · experiments and a national survey on how spending shapes happiness
Surveys in 136 countries, plus experiments in Canada, Uganda, India and South Africa, found the same pattern. Spending on others lifts mood in rich places and poor ones alike.
Lara Aknin and colleagues, 2013 · cross-cultural research on prosocial spending
Researchers tracked adults who felt they were genuinely useful to family, friends and neighbours. Contributing to others turned out to be a contribution to oneself, showing up years later in their health.
Tara Gruenewald, Diana Liao and Teresa Seeman, 2012 · longitudinal study of perceived generativity and health in later life
Free to read, always. Liking a verse or leaving a comment happens in the app, so the conversation has a name attached to it.