We\u2019ve all heard the saying \u201ctis better to give than to receive\u201d,\nbut did you realize that\u2019s actually a scientifically proven fact? Cause it is! \nIn an article was posted in Psychology Today titled \u201cGiving really is\nbetter than receiving: Does giving to others (vs. the self) promote happiness?\u201d\nthey explain it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cResearch by social psychologist Liz Dunn and her colleagues\nappearing in the journal of Science shows that people\u2019s sense\nof happiness is greater when they spend relatively more on others\nthan on themselves. In one survey of over 600 U.S. citizens, Dunn and\ncolleagues found that spending money on others predicted greater happiness\nwhereas spending money on oneself did not, and this pattern was found across\nall income levels. In other words, even those with little money reported\ngreater happiness when their proportion of spending on others, relative to the\nself, was greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a more controlled experiment, Dunn and colleagues gave students\nat the University of British Columbia an envelope containing money and told them\nthat they either (1) had to spend the money on themselves before 5 p.m. that\nday or (2) had to spend the money on someone else before 5 p.m. Those who\ngifted for others were happier than those who gifted for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some cases, there were 5 dollars in the envelope and in other\ncases there were 20 dollars. The amount didn\u2019t matter \u2014 the results were the\nsame. Spending on others made people happier than spending on oneself.\nIronically, when asked to predict which outcome would make one happier (i.e.,\nspending on oneself or spending on others), another group of students at the\nsame university thought spending on themselves would make them happier than\nspending on others. In short, people\u2019s selfish assumptions were proven wrong\nwhen they actually had the opportunity to give to others than to oneself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So there you have it!! It is better for you personally to give gifts to others than to receive gifts, so this holiday season put a little extra thought into your gifts. Remember that the study showed that happiness didn\u2019t increase by spending more money on gifts, it was the just the act of giving that mattered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind, you can always give someone the gift of laughter as well. My kids have gotten me some hilarious gifts over the years, like the year my son and his wife gift wrapped all the furniture in one room of my house and told me they’d gotten me my own room for Christmas. It was a gift I’ll never forget and it makes me laugh every time I enter that room and remember what they did. And it didn’t cost them a dime because they used my own wrapping paper to do it :)…hilarious…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frankly, the most meaningful gifts typically don\u2019t cost much money at all. The most meaningful gifts are the ones that you put thought into making personal and meaningful, like a handwritten card, or a digital photo frame with meaningful photos, or a handmade craft of some kind. Those are the gifts someone will hang on to long after the expensive gifts have worn out. The important thing is just to give…you’ll be happy you did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n