All civilized religions in the world- and other traditions for that matter- stress the importance of giving to your fellow human beings, as opposed to getting from them. However, modern societal norms often seem to imply that the opposite were true. People tend to adore those who amass vast amounts of wealth with no qualms about others. And people who without any scruples keep sponging off the largess of others, or the State, also seem to do just fine. Those who are concerned about their fellow human beings are sometimes made to feel like members of a fringe group.
To be sure, there is plenty of talk about caring for other people, especially coming from politicians. But very often the guys who make the loudest noise are not being honest and have some axe to grind. If you are a true giver and helper, you are bound to feel like a fool at times, particularly when faced with ingratitude from those you have helped a lot- something guaranteed to happen sometime or other. Society at large seem to hint that it is all about getting more and more and giving is what you do only when assured of a bigger return down the road through that.
It is in this light that new research findings come as a wave of relief and validation, which tell us that giving, rather than receiving, paves the way to a healthy long life. According to the studies, those who help others get the benefit of positive emotions that lead to stronger immune systems and, as a result, healthier and longer lives; they have reduced levels of anxiety and depression and a better sense of belonging; and the receivers, though they may be quite happy while they receive, don’t seem to get any of the long-term benefits, probably due to feelings of dependency and guilt that may be caused as a result of perpetually being on the receiving end.
Much as all this would highlight the virtues of giving and helping, it also shows us the sorry state those who continue to receive might end up in if they don’t get- or find- a way to give back to people who have been kind to them, or to others who are even less fortunate than themselves. Giving and receiving just can’t be a one-way process and, for the sake of everybody involved, it should be a cycle where each person would attempt to help someone else in some way according to his or her ability, rather than being a parasite living off the kindness of others.
