We have Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Everybody knows those ominous shopping days. In fact, a good percentage of you, my dear readers, have likely stood outside at 2 in the morning in a snow storm to observe the first one. I know I have. But both designated days are, at their core, self-serving. Even if you’re buying gifts, the real goal is to save money for yourself. There is very little altruism* involved.
And this is where #GivingTuesday comes in. A global initiative to give back in Earthly concert. This December 1st, look inward for a way to help the world around you. Give to a local foodbank. Donate to cancer research. Pack up your old (still nice) clothes and drop them off at the Salvation Army.
And then tweet about it.
Screeeecch. What a minute? Tweet about it? Where’s the altruism in that?
While I would generally agree that bragging about charity work is tacky, #GivingTuesday is an exception to the rule. Spreading the word is the whole point. You want people to observe your giving in the hopes of compelling them to do the same. The goal of this not-so-humble brag? To create a viral chain reaction that leads to a day of global giving like we’ve never seen. Ever.
So start thinking about Dec. 1 now. #GivingTuesday is coming. Is there a cause, person or family that could benefit from a small act of charity? If you think hard enough–it isn’t hard at all, really–I’m confident you can come up with a thousand and one worthy candidates.
And don’t forget to tweet about it! #GivingTuesday
*A thought occurred to me. I suppose there could be a few saints out there who have a budget for gifts and only shop on Black Friday to maximize their giving potential. So they would be spending, let’s say $500 either way, whether they purchase 10 gifts on Black Friday or 7 gifts on a normal shopping day. For those people, altruism truly is a driving force… If those people exist. As of this writing, this is simply a thought experiment.
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