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Aug 6, 2007

"While you have a thing it can be taken from you... but when you give it, you have given it. No robber can take it from you. It is yours then for ever when you have given it. It will be yours always. That is to give." --James Joyce

The Healthiness of Giving

When he was sad as a boy his mother would say, 'Well, Stevie, why don't you go out and help somebody,' " Dr Post recalls. "I would go out and rake leaves or help a neighbor put canvas over a boat." He still remembers those small moments vividly because they gave him the impression that helping others was rewarding. Now he knows it for sure. For the past five years, Dr. Post has been funding research projects that test how altruism, compassion, and giving affect people's lives and well being. He has sponsored more than 50 studies by scientists from 54 major universities. In a wide range of disciplines – from public health to neuroscience, sociology, and evolutionary biology – the studies demonstrate that love and caring expressed in doing good for others lead people to have healthier, happier, and longer lives.