Arthur C. Brooks presents research on why generous people are happier and healthier. A study found that couples who gave more money to a homeless person rated their partner as more attractive afterward. On average, giving a dollar led to a $3.75 income increase a year later, likely because giving reinforces a sense of competence.
People who give the most to charity, they're happiest, they're healthiest, they get the richest, and they're the best looking. No, no, I tell you, there's a study. They have that, you know, the couples, some of them been dating for, you know, 6 months, some have been married for 50 years. And they would say, very simple study, I'm going to give you a pocketful of change, sir, and the two of you need to walk down this little path to this other building, and my colleague is waiting for you there, and he's going to ask you a couple of questions, and you get to keep the money. It turns out it's more complicated than that. They just don't know. They're walking on this path, and there's an alleyway where a homeless guy comes wandering out and, and stops couple and he says, you got some change? He does. They know that's part of the experiment. And then they go to the other building and the psychologist waiting for them, he first asks the man, did you give the homeless guy money? How much? And then he turns to the wife and says, how much do you like him right now? And it turns out the more he gave to the homeless man, the hotter she finds him. You give a dollar on average, a year later you earn $3.75 more. Wow. It's an unbelievable investment. And the reason is because you build your self-efficacy. You see yourself as a problem solver. You have more confidence. You become more effective in the way that you earn your living when you give money away. Yes. And so it's just an incredible strategy for becoming the person you want to be.
