The spirit of giving

Christmas, as has been observed innumerable times, is a day for giving.

And it may well be that we are hardwired in some respect to have what has been called the spirit of giving.

Based on the gift of a savior on the very first Christmas, the idea of giving in honor the day has been an inseparable sentiment for more years than we’d care to count. And, for those who observe Christmas, we would guess that there are varying degrees of satisfaction in the annual practice.

Think back over the years, and you may very well remember some present you gave at Christmas that, even more than the recipient, gave you a deep level of satisfaction. We would speculate that the enjoyment you felt in giving the gift to a loved one, a friend, a colleague or even a stranger had little tie to the value of the present.

The old adage that it is the thought that counts appears to be a great underlying truth, though it may apply more to the giver than to the recipient.

An interview broadcast Christmas Eve on National Public Radio brought some clarity to that point. Laura Beth Aknin, an assistant professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University in Canada, was interviewed on her research into giving. Her own childhood actions may have inspired her study, as she recalled that she would trade nickels to her younger sibling, who didn’t understand the value of money, for that sibling’s smaller-sized dimes, thinking she’d gain pleasure from the additional wealth, even though it required cutting corners ethically. She didn’t experience the pleasure she thought she would.

Later, her work with toddlers and college students revealed some interesting facts. First, when toddlers were asked to share food treats with a stuffed monkey toy, the kids not only exhibited more happiness in their facial expressions when they engaged in the act of sharing, but the satisfaction was intensified when they shared their own treat with the monkey, rather than the identical treat provided by the researchers.

In a another study, college students were given cash — $20 or less — in the morning and told to either spend it on themselves or asked to spent it on someone else. Contacted in the evening, the students who spent the money on others recorded higher degrees of satisfaction.

Her research and that of others has indicated another aspect of giving — forced giving undermines the enjoyment of the act.

And very well could explain the expressions we have all seen during the holidays as shoppers struggle to find the “perfect gift” for someone because they feel the need to meet an obligation, whether in quantity, quality or simply cost.

While many of us bemoan the commercialism of Christmas, the giving of gifts at the Christmas season really isn’t the problem. It’s how we go about it, and why we do it.

Christmas doesn’t come from a store. It comes from the heart. It comes from a place that you can’t quite touch, but you feel nonetheless. And when you can make a gift of that wonderful feeling to another person, you have given a marvelous gift. In fact, the Christ whose birthday we observe today noted: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

On this holy day, we wish you peace and happiness. May your experiences today become precious memories that you treasure in years to come.

— The Albany Herald Editorial Board