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Jun 26, 2013

"It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert." --Jacques Yves Cousteau

Radical Generosity: From Me to We

Radical Generosity is based on the idea of a gift economy in which the primary question is, "how can I serve you?" rather than, "how can you help me?" It's a shift from 'me' to 'you,' practiced in countless different ways by people all over the world. Some pass along a smile, a kind word, or an anonymous gift of flowers. A bread-maker asks that you pay only what you think his product is worth; a restaurant gifts you a meal and invites you to contribute for the next diner; a filmmaker documents the lives of everyday people at no charge. Anthropologists remind us that a communal sense has deeper roots than our modern self-centric, individualistic social structures. Gift economy practices strive to bring generosity of heart into the playing field of day-to-day living in a game that anyone can play. This thoughtful article shares more.