No person was ever honoured for what he received . Honour has been the reward for what he gave .” This is the quote Calvin Coolidge , the 30
th US President , I ended my
previous contribution to The Professional with and which I will start this one .
The theme for this edition is generosity . Giving . Benevolence . Volunteering .
It is an exciting theme . One that is at odds with much of rational economic utility theory . We could ask ourselves : Why is this such a universal feature of the human psyche , irrespective of geography , wealth , ethnicity or culture ? Why do so many people give so much away ? Why do they work for nothing in their free time , committed as volunteers to causes and community groups ?
The numbers vary from year to year , but in 2017 , more than 64 million Americans volunteered , giving their time , talents and energy to make a difference in at least one project close to their hearts .
In England , over the last decade , the number varied between 14 million and 21 million , according to government statistics .
Spotlight :
What a US washerwoman can teach us about generosity
By Izak Smit , PPS Group CEO
According to Statistics South Africa , more than a million people typically do volunteer work in this country . The global number is over a billion . In fact , volunteering is a basic feature of human society .
One of the most beautiful stories I have ever come across of a lifetime of selfless giving , of a person with very little income and a bottom-of-the-food-chain job but who eventually had an enormous impact on society , is that of Oseola McCarty ( 1908 – 1999 ).
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