Želite popraviti ekonomiju?
Sljedeći put kada kupujete kavu, kupite šalicu za osobu iza vas. Ili dok se probijate kroz jutarnju vožnju na posao, pokupite naknadu na naplatnoj kućici za vozača iza vas, prebačen preko njegovog upravljača i gunđajući zbog dugog kašnjenja.
Čuli ste onu poznatu Gandhijevu izreku o tome da ste promjena, pa ovo su dobre mjere za početak, koje daju više snage nego što možete zamisliti.
Ovaj pristup životu počinje sljedećom premisom: Što sam ja (ili vi) točno učinio da zaslužim biti živ? Ako možete obraditi to pitanje i izaći misleći da je to dar koji nikada ne možete uzvratiti, tada je početak života većeg davanja jedini logičan i donekle recipročan put. Ako najvrednije što imate nije ono što ste zaradili, zašto škrtariti sa svim manjim stvarima. Možete započeti tu praksu veće velikodušnosti s većom zahvalnošću. A gdje je bolje početi nego s majkom, ali nemojte tu stati. Obitelj, prijatelji i krajnja granica, stranci, svi su vrijedni podanici.
Razmotrimo što nas muči. Naš financijski sustav gotovo se urušio prije nekoliko godina. Poduprli smo ga onim što je ostalo od naših komunalnih resursa i malo selotejpa tu i tamo da ispravimo nedostatke sustava. A sada smo se oporavili toliko anemični da to mogu osjetiti samo bogati. Mora postojati bolji način.
Razmjena je dobar način da se preživi loša ekonomija. Mogu popraviti zahode; možete očistiti karburatore. Želiš li plesati?
Naučiti funkcionirati u nečemu poput "ekonomije poklona" daleko je subverzivnije i vrijedno je razmišljanja o tome.
Prije nekoliko godina, usred skorog ekonomskog kolapsa, Steamin' Bean u Blue Springsu, Missouri, uhvaćen je u ekonomiji darivanja. Žena koja je uzimala kavu kroz prolazni prozor odlučila je kupiti još jednu šalicu, anonimno, za osobu u automobilu iza nje. Lanac je išao za blizu 1000 kupaca. To se dogodilo zbog virusnog afekta velikodušnosti.
Kao što je vlasnik Steamin' Bean Garin Bledsoe objasnio u izvješću UPI.com od 15. srpnja 2009.: "Teška su vremena, ali ljudi žele biti dio nečega, znajući da njihovih 5 centi, njihov dolar, ide za veće dobro."
Literatura o ekonomiji dara je bogata. Sjećate li se onih predavanja iz antropologije o Potlatchu? Primitivna društva nadaleko su koristila "darove" kao sredstvo stvaranja kohezije i povezanosti, sve bolje kako bi preživjela teškoće života od zemlje i prijetnje drugih manje prijateljskih plemena. Ta je praksa, u različitim oblicima, bila prilično raširena i prethodila je modernom izumu valute. Kako povijest ide, ovo doba kapitala, stvari koje nosimo u svojim novčanicima i džepnim knjigama, zasljepljujuće je nov izum. Kako ti ide? Kladim se da ste poput velike većine svijeta. Bez obzira koliko imate, nikada nije dovoljno.
Evo o čemu treba razmisliti. Jesu li te predmoderne navike "darivanja" bile isključivo tehnike preživljavanja? Moderni čovjek možda je manje sklon ovoj vrsti osnovnog darivanja, dijeljenja i recipročnosti. Ali mi smo dobri u proučavanju stvari i istraživanja nastavljaju dolaziti da je davanje dobar osjećaj. Stvarno dobro.
Što se točno događa kada kupite tu šalicu kave za osobu iza vas?
Događaju vam se neke dobre stvari u tijelu. Zapravo u mozgu, prema brojnim nedavnim medicinskim studijama koje su identificirale neuralni udarac od velikodušnosti. Dacher Keltner, autor knjige Born to Be Good , sažima svoj vlastiti rad kao i druga novija istraživanja u ovom području u ovom članku u časopisu Greater Good.
Ali stvarno, treba li nam znanost da nam to kaže? Podignite ruku ako ste se posljednji put kad ste učinili nešto lijepo za nekoga -- nešto ne iz navike, već istinski spontani čin velikodušnosti bez očekivane naplate -- osjećali više nego dobro. Zapravo ste se osjećali nekako promijenjeno, kao nekakav pomak s mentaliteta oskudice na obilniji osjećaj sebe i života. U redu, projiciram ovdje. Ali shvatili ste.
Istraživao sam aktivnosti koje bi mogle potpasti pod široki naslov "ekonomije darova". Ovo je u službi eventualne knjige o CharityFocus.org , neprofitnoj organizaciji koja je tijekom proteklog desetljeća služila kao svojevrsni inkubator projekata ekonomije darivanja.
Jedna od osnovnih istina o aktivnostima koje su naizgled trivijalne poput kupnje kave za osobu iza vas ili otvaranja vrata drugima jest da one uopće nisu trivijalne. Ako vjerujete da mijenjanje svijeta na bolje počinje od vas samih, ova mala djela velikodušnosti, kada se učine s punom namjerom, čine nešto vrlo moćno. Oni mijenjaju vaš svijet s "ja" orijentacije na "mi" orijentaciju. Taj prošireni i povezani osjećaj sebe može uistinu promijeniti sve, od načina na koji razmišljate do načina na koji djelujete.
Prvi put sam se susreo s ovim pristupom dok sam pisao mali članak o CharityFocus.org za The Christian Science Monitor , dok sam bio šef dopisništva tih novina u San Franciscu. I sjećam se jasno kao zvono, svitanja spoznaje da velikodušnost nije rješavanje nekog vanjskog problema. Radilo se o meni. O stvaranju unutarnjeg pomaka, o uspostavljanju drugačije baze razmišljanja.
Lewis Hyde napisao je knjigu pod nazivom The Gift 1983. Ona je i briljantna i krajnje otporna na sažimanje. Ali zadire u pitanja o vrijednosti kreativne umjetnosti i donekle egzistencijalno pitanje o tome kako umjetnici uopće mogu pomiriti svoj "dar" s tendencijama tržišne ekonomije komoditizacije. Knjiga je zapravo razmišljanje o pojmovima vrijednosti, uzajamnosti te vezama i nepovezanostima između modernog ekonomskog krajolika i "ekonomija darova" starijih kultura. Ovdje se spominje kako bi se sugeriralo da pojam ekonomije dara nije lijeva alternativa kapitalizmu. Činjenica je da smo vjerojatno svi osposobljeni, i fiziološki i društveno, da tražimo suradnju i suradnju usprkos obrazovnom sustavu i društvenom kontekstu koji djeluje od kolijevke do groba kako bi nam usadio pogled na svijet koji je nulta vrijednost. Resursi su ograničeni, život je kratak, uzmite što možete -- a ako imate malo viška, možda napišite ček svojoj omiljenoj dobrotvornoj organizaciji.
U svom istraživanju knjiga čitam doslovce desetke svjedočanstava svaki dan od ljudi koji su u najmanjem činu velikodušnosti otkrili vrlo veliki osjećaj radosti. I većina odlučuje na neki način "otplatiti". I tako ti činovi nikada nisu sami. Odjekuju iznutra i repliciraju se prema van.
Zato kupite tu šalicu kave za osobu iza vas. Osjećat ćete se odlično. Imate znanost iza sebe. Ali ta potvrda vam zapravo neće trebati. Ono što ćete najviše primijetiti je ono što se događa unutra.
I ne griješite, ekonomija, kakvu znate, nikada neće biti ista.
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I completely get the point Paul is making. I also get the contrarian's points. It seems to me that most of contrarians are using the "logic" to counter Paul's argument. Paul's point can't be debated with only logical arguments alone. His points are more about being good, altruistic, spiritual and completely different from Market Based Economy. I think, there are pointers all around us - the market based economy, the self sufficient society isn't making us happier as individuals and prosperous as society. Reasons are that we are gone too far away from valuing happiness, satisfaction, friendships, goodwill as much as we value the money and hoarding what we may not need.
I had a similar feeling few years ago, and started working on an idea -- it's called "Goodsq", "Good Square", "Good to the power 2" -- call it what easy for you. My goal when I started with was to make people think more meaningfully about their relations. My realization has been humble and a bit saddening - people are more selfish and would do anything when they are made guilty, greedy and when they want to brag. My experiment is still on and I am determined. Please check this out at - www.goodsq.com.
[Hide Full Comment]Paul:
I like to think that I have a healthy contempt for
political correctness; I do not overly romanticize communities that enjoy long,
traditional social systems; and I am largely skeptical of the way the
epithet "wisdom" is so facilely applied to ancient cultures. But
I'd have to choke a little hard to apply the phrase
"primitive societies" to the Coast Salish, Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Gitxsan, and
Tsimshian First Nations who practice the potlatch. Quite aside the pejorative aspect of
the description, it obscures the fact that the potlatch remains a vibrant,
contemporary practice. While the
potlatch was banned in Canada between 1855 and 1951 – and for a similar period
within the United States, I believe – it did not disappear and retains a social
and economic relevance in those First Nations communities for whom it is
customary.
Still your basic point is a
good one: potlatching is a superb example of a gift economy practice.
Yvonne Wilson of Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations has written an interesting
explanatory comment on potlatching in the context of a discussion on the gift
economy, here.
MBJ
[Hide Full Comment]As we were taught in High School Driver's Ed, back in the olden days, :-), Courtesy is contagious!! Get the fever!!!!
My exhusband gave me many gifts, his love for 25 years, two fantastic children and a horse that changed the course of both our lives, the result of which is I am daily able to gift my new energy, soulfulness and conscious living to my family and friends, the process of divorce has enabled me to gift a mortgage repayment for a friend in trouble, rent for a girl friend beginning to live alone and to fly a beloved horse, Oscar, to Australia for a friend who had been supported by his love whilst undergoing cancer treatment and upon recovery had moved to Oz and missed Oscars love so much it was wonderful getting a picture of their reunion at 4 am in Perth. I have in return been supported by so many people each time I have need something, from a contact to help me with information processing or gathering to some one willing to listen on the phone at 3 am when the journey looks black and hopeless. Small or large paying forward in terms of financial or spiritual connects and transforms us.
[Hide Full Comment]I strongly disagree with your 2nd paragraph. Compassion and kindness and help in anyway is an expression of your vunerability in this day and age. If you do what you say the receiver will exploit you again and again.
My philosophy is to help anyone who is physically challenged.
In this country there are not too many opportunities for them.
And by the way for a driver ranting at the long slow lines a SMILE does wonders !
I do agree that when we are in a full-blown gift economy, money will be unnecessary. However, in the meantime, while we are bridging the gap, most gifts will cost someone financially.
Progressivepam’s definition of “gift” in her reply below
(…giving something without expectation of return (either in money or demands or
manipulation) shines light on a dilemma I often experience. I find myself
reluctant to use “Smile Cards” because I feel like I’m asking people to do
something in response to my act of kindness - i.e. pay it forward. That does
seem like a dilemma: we want to freely give a gift, yet we also want to raise
awareness around the concept by describing and demonstrating how it works.
Promoting an idea, however good, sort of implies that you’d like people to
embrace the idea.
Maybe the resolution simply lies in the spirit with which you deliver
the card. If you can maintain a playful, non-attached attitude, then it’s most
likely to succeed.
Does anyone else experience this?
I ran to the store for some additional ingredients for a dinner party, but left my purse at home. Darn, I'd have to go all the way back and I was running out of time. I asked the checker to hold onto my groceries, when the man next to me (big, black, comfortable, cheerful) said he would cover the almost $10. I was surprised, and thanked him, but said no. He insisted, saying "You never know what life has in mind for you." I understood him to mean God, so of course I accepted. I thanked him with gratitude, and gifted him the good feeling associated with unconditional giving.
a new yoga studio just opened in my town, Asheville, NC. It is totally free. beautiful space, all teachers teach as a gift, everyone is welcome. and it's taking over the yoga scene! the classes are always full, the teachers are blossoming when they are free to teach as a gift and not worry about being the best so the classes will fill up. And people are being exposed to yoga!. The community of folks who practice here volunteer their time to make the studio happen in every way. A new parking lot was needed and in under three weeks the community raised 12,000 dollars to make it happen. Its' an amazing place. Asheville Community Yoga.
In between rains I go out and plant a few saplings. In this weather they have a good chance of surviving and thriving. Is this an act of kindness or what? I don't know.
Yesterday I presented a few saplings as a birth day gift. Is this part of the gift economy? I don't know.
I have been doing things like these all my life.
This is a great article and I love the message behind it: "Give unconditionally". I can relate to this because of what I am currently facing with my country, Egypt. There are various plans similar to this that focus on simply giving without expecting. I also deeply believe that if such an economy existed, money itself wouldn't find its place in life but rather at heart. Growth, contribution, and even significance would become ego-less since the attachment to "getting back something" would perish. The reason many people find it difficult to believe such an economy would exist is because we're conditioned to think that the ultimate superior to money is a bank; never the people. If we thought beyond physically and corporate entities in such cases, the world's currency would be a smile.
One of the opportunities I believe we are changed when we can do something for someone else and they not find out about it. Another way is to be in gratitude. Both seem to change me internally and therefore I respond to others differently.
There's such a special feeling that goes along with giving or receiving a gift that just purely given. It feels like, well, love.
I think this article misrepresents the gift economy - or at the very least, it presents a mixed money/gift economy with a very heavy stress on the "money" parts. In the pure gift economy, you are supposed to make what you gift, or add value to previously received gifts and pass them on. Money does not work this way at all.