想振兴经济吗？
下次你买咖啡的时候，也给后面的人买一杯。或者，当你早上艰难地通勤时，帮后面那位趴在方向盘上抱怨长时间延误的司机付一下过路费。
你一定听过甘地那句关于“成为变革本身”的名言，这些都是很好的开端，其效果可能比你想象的要好得多。
这种人生观始于这样一个前提：我（或你）究竟做了什么才配得上活着？如果你能思考这个问题，并最终意识到这是一份你永远无法偿还的礼物，那么，开始更加慷慨地付出，就成了唯一合乎逻辑且勉强说得通的回报之道。如果你拥有的最宝贵的东西并非你挣来的，那么为何要吝啬于那些无关紧要的东西呢？你可以从更加感恩开始，培养慷慨的习惯。而最好的起点莫过于你的母亲，但不要止步于此。家人、朋友，甚至陌生人，都是值得你付出的人。
让我们回顾一下我们面临的困境。几年前，我们的金融体系几乎崩溃。我们用所剩无几的公共资源勉强支撑着它，并零星地修补了一些系统缺陷。而现在，我们发现经济复苏如此乏力，只有富人才能感受到。一定有更好的办法。
物物交换是经济不景气时生存的好方法。我会修马桶，你会清洗化油器。想跳舞吗？
然而，学习如何在类似“礼物经济”的体系中运作则更具颠覆性，值得我们深思。
几年前，在经济濒临崩溃之际，密苏里州蓝泉镇的Steamin' Bean咖啡馆意外地卷入了“礼物经济”的浪潮。一位女士在免下车窗口取咖啡时，决定匿名为后面车里的乘客再买一杯。这种互赠咖啡的连锁反应持续了近千次。这一切都源于慷慨的病毒式传播。
正如 Steamin' Bean 的老板 Garin Bledsoe 在 2009 年 7 月 15 日 UPI.com 的一篇报道中所解释的那样：“现在是艰难时期，但人们想要参与一些事情，因为他们知道他们的 5 分钱、1 美元会用于更大的利益。”
关于礼物经济的文献浩如烟海。还记得人类学课上讲的“馈赠宴”（Potlatch）吗？原始社会曾广泛使用“礼物”来维系凝聚力和联系，以便更好地应对艰苦的土地生活和来自其他不友好部落的威胁。这种做法形式多样，相当普遍，甚至早于现代货币的发明。从历史的角度来看，我们钱包和手提包里的这些“资本”，其实是一项崭新的发明。你觉得它对你来说怎么样？我敢肯定，你和世界上绝大多数人一样，无论拥有多少，永远都觉得不够。
这里有个问题值得思考。这些前现代的“馈赠”习惯仅仅是生存策略吗？现代人或许不太倾向于这种基本的馈赠、分享和互惠行为。但我们擅长研究事物，而研究不断表明，给予会让人感觉良好。真的非常良好。
当你给身后的人买一杯咖啡时，究竟会发生什么？
慷慨待人会让你的身体发生一些有益的变化。事实上，根据近期多项医学研究，这种变化甚至会影响大脑，因为慷慨能刺激神经系统。畅销书《天生善良》（Born to Be Good）的作者达彻·凯尔特纳（Dacher Keltner）在《美好生活》（Greater Good）杂志的这篇文章中，总结了他自己的研究成果以及该领域其他近期的研究。
但说真的，我们需要科学来告诉我们这些吗？如果你上次为别人做了件好事——不是出于习惯，而是真正发自内心、不求回报的慷慨之举——之后感觉好极了，请举手。你甚至感觉自己焕然一新，仿佛从匮乏心态转变为对自身和生活更加充盈的认知。好吧，我承认我有点主观臆断了。但你应该明白我的意思。
我一直在研究一些可能属于“礼物经济”范畴的活动。这是为了最终撰写一本关于CharityFocus.org的书，这是一个非营利组织，在过去的十年里，它一直扮演着礼物经济项目孵化器的角色。
看似微不足道的举动，比如为身后的人买咖啡或为他人开门，其实蕴含着一个基本真理：它们绝非微不足道。如果你认同“改变世界，从自身做起”的理念，那么这些发自内心的善举，便能产生强大的力量。它们能将你的世界观从“我”转向“我们”。这种更广阔、更紧密相连的自我意识，能够真正改变一切，从你的思维方式到你的行为方式。
我第一次接触到这种方法，是在为《基督教科学箴言报》撰写一篇关于 CharityFocus.org 的小文章时，当时我是该报旧金山分社的社长。我至今仍清晰地记得，我当时恍然大悟：慷慨并非是为了解决什么外部问题，而是为了我自己。是为了创造一种内在的转变，为了建立一种不同的思维模式。
刘易斯·海德于1983年出版了《礼物》一书。这本书既精彩绝伦，又难以概括。它深入探讨了创意艺术的价值，以及艺术家如何调和自身“天赋”与市场经济商品化趋势这一颇具存在主义色彩的问题。这本书实际上是对价值、互惠以及现代经济格局与传统文化中的“礼物经济”之间的联系与断裂等概念的沉思。在此提及此书，意在表明“礼物经济”并非左翼对资本主义的替代方案。事实上，尽管教育体系和社会环境从摇篮到坟墓都在灌输我们零和博弈的世界观，但我们或许在生理和社会层面都天生渴望合作与协作。资源有限，生命短暂，能得到什么就得到什么——如果还有余力，或许可以给你喜欢的慈善机构捐点钱。
在我的写作研究中，我每天都会阅读数十条证词，讲述人们如何在最小的善举中发现巨大的喜悦。而且，大多数人都会选择以某种方式“传递这份善意”。因此，这些善举并非孤立存在，它们会在内心产生共鸣，并在外在不断传递。
所以，给身后的人买杯咖啡吧。你会感觉很棒。科学为你作证。但你其实并不需要这种肯定。你最能感受到的，是内心的变化。
毫无疑问，你所熟知的经济模式将永远不会再和以前一样了。
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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.