In much of his writing, Paul G. Schervish, professor of sociology and director of the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College, offers a psycho-social perspective on giving and how people carry out their lives.
In a recent article he wrote, “One of the most unexpected findings is the satisfaction and pleasure that donors experience when they carry out philanthropy that draws on Aristotle’s notion of philia, or friendship love, in which ‘a friend is another myself,’ and is involved with me in a relationship of mutual nourishment. In this view, philanthropy that is embodied in caring acts is a relationship of connection, and enriches and enhances the life of both the receiver and the giver.”
All that to remind us, we’re about something bigger here. It’s easy to get sucked into the next email we need to send or phone call we need to make. But in the end, we’re about giving people the opportunity to impact our world for good—and to feel good about it.
Leave a Reply