Anonymous Donation Multiplies
If you had $2,500 dollars to give away, could you have the impact of the anonymous donor described in this Seattle Times article:
It started one Sunday when Linda McCoy, pastor of a free-spirited church called The Garden [in Indianapolis], preached about kindness — or as she put it, sowing seeds of love. Then she held up 50 envelopes. An anonymous donor had filled each with a $50 bill. Anyone could take one, no strings attached. All the donor asked was that the money be used for good. “We can make this world a better place,” McCoy told her congregation. “What a wonderful adventure.”Many who picked up the envelopes spent weeks pondering how best to spend the $50. Teachers and plumbers, therapists and nurses found themselves driving the streets of Indianapolis, studying the worn faces they passed, looking for a need they could meet.
“I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Loretta Johnson, an insurance underwriter.
As it turned out, the envelopes made as much difference to the givers as to the takers. The middle-age, middle-class members of the congregation found themselves listening to strangers’ hard-luck stories with empathy instead of skepticism. The donor had trusted them to use the money wisely. They took that trust and passed it on.
The people in this story really cared about how they used the money. Many increased the size of their gift by getting friends and family to contribute. Simply amazing. The effect on the givers was real.
When we see someone do a good deed — such as an anonymous donor filling 50 envelopes with cash — it elevates our view of human nature. That elevation can produce physical changes: the proverbial lump in the throat or tightness in the chest. It also triggers altruism. Once elevated, people often feel inspired to do good deeds, according to Jon Haidt, a University of Virginia psychology professor who has spent years studying this reaction.
Jon Haidt’s first book is Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived and has a page about positive psychology on his web site.
Posted 21 November 2003
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