Giving Is Complicated

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Original Air Date: 
December 08, 2018

Even the most welcome gift can spark guilt, resentment, obligation or vulnerability. We can be inspired by the generosity of others, or unsettled by uncertainty of how to say thank you, or whether an especially generous gift comes with strings attached.

This hour, unwrapping the tangled emotions behind giving — and getting.

Ways to help Jay
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In 2015, Jay Costello was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a treatable but incurable blood cancer. His family couldn't handle it alone, so his daughter Megan started asking for help online, fundraising via a GoFundMe page. 

Length: 
07:11
Wheelchair
Articles

Writer Haddayr Copley-Woods says she's been trying to figure out how to deal with unsolicited help since she was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. For the helpers, it’s a nice thing to do. For her, it’s patronizing.

Length: 
10:28
gift giving
Audio

Is it actually possible to give a truly selfless gift? Anthropologist David Graeber says it's not only impossible, the entire concept of a "free gift" is a capitalist construct shaped by impersonal market economies.

Length: 
08:32
Cash
Articles

Journalist Anand Giridharadas says that sometimes, major philanthropic gifts are a lot less altruistic than they may appear.

Length: 
15:11
give the gift of a clean kitchen
Articles

Psychologist Elizabeth Dunn on how to spend money on ourselves and others in a way that maximizes happiness.

Length: 
08:54
Extras

Show Details 📻
Airdates
December 08, 2018
December 07, 2019
Last modified: 
December 11, 2019