Giving is… Reciprocal.
by Jason Paik
Whenever someone gives something to someone else, there is always a weight of burden against the giver, regardless how big or small.
At the very basic definition of “giving”, the giver actually gets nothing physically in return or else “giving” essentially loses its meaning. “Giving” entails owning up what you lose and living in a culture so deeply rooted in self-interest, the act of giving, even at times in my own life, has often changed into something more obligatory than something taken out of in sincerity.
But why do I think giving is reciprocal?
Even if there is no reward for that someone who gives, I have realized giving is more than just a one-way street but a window for someone to find satisfaction if he or she chooses to look for it. Giving, on one end, equips the recipient with something he or she doesn’t deserve or else the word “giving” looks more like the word “helping” than its original selfless definition. But on the other end, giving provides the pleasure the giver seeks if one gives in true earnestness and without any conditions.
Giving doesn’t promise an immediate reaction of thankfulness or repayment. It doesn’t help you financially in any way and more often than not, your gifts will often go unnoticed and become forgotten about in week’s times than anything.
But the beauty of true altruism stems in finding contentment even if one doesn’t receive something in return. The splendor of giving is ironically in the loss than in the gain.
