WHY SO STINGY? THE NEUROSCIENCE OF GENEROSITY
- Author: Lucy Bloom
- Word Count: 505
Read the news article
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF GENEROSITY is an interesting beast. As a charity CEO, I have seen it expressed in many different ways. The best kind of generosity comes with warmth and good old NSA – no strings attached. This kind of generosity is glorious to witness and is the backbone of charity work all over the world. The worst kind smacks you over the head with their husband’s cheque book.
I wrote a whole chapter about kindness and another on charity in my latest book, but I have continued to wonder about the ‘why’ of generosity. Why do some people give with nothing expected in return, even when they don’t have much themselves? Why do others use it to wield control and command kudos?
So I do what I always do when I don’t understand why people behave the way they do and I consult the neuroscientific research.
The origins of human generosity go back to when knuckle-draggers evolved into hunter-gatherers. Survival of the species relied on a herd mentality of care where older, fitter humans helped younger, slower, cuter ones. Those who didn’t participate in sharing or self-sacrifice for the herd were removed by natural selection. I wish stingy bastards in 2019 were the same: removed by natural selection.
Nature and nurture
According to science, humans are a combination of nature and nurture when it comes to generosity. The brain rewards you with a shot of feel-good dopamine when you are generous. That delicious hormone literally sizzles through your bloodstream when you take your imaginary generosity gland for a whirl. It is a biological boomerang: give to someone who needs it and the joy will bounce right back at you as a warm fuzzy feeling of reward and delight.
Humans employ two things when they are assessing whether to be generous: logic and empathy. The distraction of the decision-making part of the brain causes people to be more generous. Logic introduces an assessment of benefit and loss for giver and receiver. If the giver sees they can make a difference to the receiver without any significant loss to themselves, we have a winner in the logical generosity department!
Why so stingy?
So what makes a stingy bastard? Or worse, someone who is generous for all the wrong reasons. It seems to be the work of the nature/nurture/values trifecta. All three of which are done and dusted by the time humans are young adults. Meet an older person who lacks generosity and you really can’t convince them to repave their neural tendencies and nurtured behaviors with values of generosity and welfare. Unless you can appeal to their ego.
If you are born with less neural empathy (nature) than the next guy, you will be less likely to give. But that part of your brain is not fully developed until humans are 30. This explains why teenagers can be such breathtakingly selfish creatures. Teen brains lack neural empathy.
Article written by LUCY BLOOM
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on LinkedIn
Further articles you may enjoy:
- (35)
The old saying, “What got you here won’t get you there,” applies to your professional life today with One Skill You Need. The world is quickly changing as well as the competitive landscape. Whether you are running a business or trying to increase your career equity, ramping up One Skill You Need set is important. […]
- May 18, 2023
- (4)
A few months ago, the National Safety Council had me as the closing keynote speaker on the acceleration of risk for their massive annual conference – and I spoke to a few thousand safety professionals on issues surrounding new, emerging. Including a story of what happened when Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons went rogue! […]
- January 10, 2023
- (6)
Practice These Skills to Become a Great Resilient Leader When my friend Petra was diagnosed with cancer, not once, but twice, life gave her no choice but to be strong. When she went into remission for the second time, she decided she was going to wake people up to the precious gift of time. Through […]
- December 13, 2022
- (9)
Richard Mulholland: Redefining Leadership, AI, Resilience, and Sales In a rapidly evolving world, staying ahead in business requires more than just knowledge; it demands foresight, adaptability, and the ability to inspire change. Richard Mulholland, a renowned keynote speaker and thought leader, has emerged as a leading voice in areas that are pivotal to both individual […]
- October 1, 2024
- (45)
Kanya Sesser’s life story is a testament to No Legs No Limits and the power of resilience, determination, and self-belief. Born without legs and left outside a Buddhist temple in Pak Chong, Thailand, her journey from abandonment to becoming a celebrated athlete, model, and actress is nothing short of extraordinary. Early Life and Adoption In […]
- April 2, 2025
- (5)
I recently stayed at a five-star hotel and found a major marketing problem lurking in the wardrobe in my room and then realised everything you do is marketing Upon check-in I was welcomed enthusiastically, and my membership status recognised with a room upgrade. I was even presented with a welcome gift to thank me […]
- January 16, 2023
- (10)
Driving Innovation in today’s fast-paced world, anticipating change has become a core business competency. Organizations can no longer afford to wait for disruption to happen—they must proactively identify signals of change and adapt before competitors. Whether driven by technological advancements, market volatility, or societal shifts, disruption is inevitable. The key to surviving and thriving lies […]
- December 16, 2024
- (4)
How to make change work for you, As human beings, we don’t look at change and think, “Hmmm I want more of that.” Given my own relationship to and with change, I challenged myself to figure out why this is true. Why do we avoid change? Why does change create stress, fear and uncertainty? The […]
- December 13, 2022
