Blogging Book Club

I know!

Two in one day! Let's just say I'm feeling very generous.

CHAPTER 11 - GENEROSITY - Redefining Boundaries

(BBEP, BEEP, BEEP - I interrupt this regular scheduled programing to say that Trevan just called a Tootsie Roll a "Turkey Roll.")

"For the generous person, borders are permeable. What is yours - your suffering, your problems - is also mine: This is compassion. What is mine - my possessions, my body, my knowledge and abilities, my time and resources, my energy - is also yours: This is generosity." (p. 150)

"Nothing is nobler and more beautiful than someone spontaneously giving... Do we give out of habit, guilt, social pressure? Do we give so as to obtain a tax deduction, or to show off, or because it is good publicity?" (p.152)

The tax deduction is the one that bugs me, it always has, especially having worked in non-profit. Are we giving to give, or are we giving only if there is something in it for me? When people ask me for something I ignore the whole tax deduction part, that's not the reason I give. When working for non-profit, I loved hearing people say when asked if they want the tax deduction form to not worry about it. (For the record, there's nothing wrong with it, I just like it when people want to give to give, and not care if they get something in return, except that warm fuzzy feeling.)

The author talks about how we can be generous with ourselves, sharing us with others. He talks about how we keep a lot of experiences to ourselves and only communicate the easy stuff.

"However, it is through sharing of our inner life, of the richest and most fertile part of ourselves, that relationships grow rich and enjoyable. Out relationships are defined by how much of ourselves we communicate." (p. 154)

"We also know as a documented fact that poorer people, proportionally to their income, give more to charity than richer people. It seems having little money keeps them more in touch with the values that count, or perhaps it is because it helps them understand the discomfort of lacking what is vital. Or maybe it's because the pain of need keeps alight the flame of compassion." (p. 159)

Also, having worked in non-profit this was very evident in fundraising; the smaller towns were able to raise more many than the larger cities with larger incomes. It's also about a sense of community, and that is harder to foster in a bigger city.

The author tells a story of what happened when a tribe in South Kenya heard of the tragedy of September 11th:

"Dressed in their multicolored garments, they held a solemn meeting and decided they would send their most precious possession - sixteen cows - to the people of New York to help them in this difficult moment. These people, who had known the torment of hunger, were now ready to give up their food to show their solidarity to other human beings they had never met."

"Generosity is exactly this: to give that which is dearest to us. It is an act that transforms us. After it, we will be poorer, but we will feel richer... We will have made the world we live in a little kinder." (p. 160)