Science and Scriptures Agree on Something: Giving

Scripture tells us that “it is better to give than to receive.” I’ll address the part about why it’s not as good to receive in a later article. For now, let’s talk about why giving is so good. 

Science says so

When you give, you activate the mesolimbic reward system in your brain. That’s a fancy way of saying that your brain likes it when you give and wants you to do it again. In order to reward you and make sure you want to give again, your brain gives you four chemical rewards:

• Dopamine rush: Giving activates the mesolimbic reward pathway — the same neuro pathway drugs hijack to get you high and Instagram hijacks to keep you doom scrolling. Dopamine creates instant pleasure and a desire to repeat the action: giving.
• Oxytocin boost: Your brain releases oxytocin — the “bonding hormone” — which sustains the good feeling longer than dopamine alone and makes you want more connection through whatever it is you did: giving.
• Endorphins and: Endorphins are natural painkillers like opioids that give us euphoria and reduce stress
• Serotonin gives you a mood lift and a feeling of satisfaction, reinforcing the behavior: giving.

The mesolimbic reward system in your brain is hacked by social media apps and drugs. Giving activates it as it’s supposed to be activated.

Religions All Agree on Something!

Every religion has an emphasis on giving. 

• The Bible talks about giving more than 2,000 times.
• Giving is the first of the perfections of Buddhism
• Hinduism teaches that giving purifies the soul, reduces ego and karma.
• Judaism teaches giving as a core obligation.
• Sikhism emphasizes giving as service to God, and that giving should be genuine, from the heart — not for reward.

That’s consistent with the New Testament scripture: “When you give, do not let the left hand know what your right hand is doing.” The reason that all world religions emphasize giving is because it’s very, very good for you biologically.

What Can We Give?

There are 3 things anyone can give: time, treasure, talent. Usually, when someone or some organization asks you to “give”, they actually mean your time or your treasure, most often your treasure, your money. Giving your treasure is simple: you write a check, swipe your card, or scan a QR code, assuming you have the money. It will still give you dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin, but money is finite, measurable, and comparable.

Time is also finite, measurable, and comparable. We all have exactly the same amount of time in each day. The only differentiator is that nobody knows how many days they have remaining. And when someone asks for your time, it’s almost always time to do what they need you to do. There’s nothing wrong with that, and giving your time doing the necessary tasks to support a cause or organization will most certainly give you the rush of the “giving high”, but just like money, it’s measurable, and finite, and easy to compare to others’. 

And, because time and money are both finite, we all naturally default to try to protect their time and their money.

But your talent, your gift is unique to you. t’s immeasurable, cannot be counted, limited, or compared. It’s more valuable than your time or money, and it’s also harder to give away, because it’s uniquely yours and you cannot give away your gift until you yourself have opened it and identified it.