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Jul 7, 2010

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." --Maya Angelou

The Health Benefits of Generosity

Ever notice a feeling of warm satisfaction from giving someone a gift? Or a sense of joy from treating someone else to a meal? This link between good vibes and good deeds may be more than coincidence, say researchers at the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School. In a recent study, participants were given $10 and asked to decide how much of it to share with someone else. Those who gave more money away reported higher levels of happiness- both in hormone levels and questionnaire results. "The moral of the story is that the economic decisions we make can have downstream health consequences," concludes study co-author Lara Aknin. Maybe money can buy happiness after all, if it's given away...