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News Gram™ August 2005

August 2005 ~ Volume 12, No. 1

The world of American philanthropy is an admixture of politics, economics and, yes, psychiatry. One can see how the first two factors figure in giving away one’s money – tax benefits, peer pressure, belief in political and social causes, among others – but what in the world does psychiatry have to do with charitable donations? In a word, everything. The underlying psychology of philanthropic causes is the central factor in getting people to part with their money. We see this in the psychiatric syndrome of mania. In fact, some of the most philanthropic people are often manic people. How is that?

To understand this point, it’s important to grasp what it is that makes people reach into their pockets and put cash on the line. Simply put, they do so because it makes them feel good.

If you ask someone why they donated $10,000 to the Boys’ Home or some eleemosynary institution, you’re likely to get the following response: “Those kids are troubled and really need our help.” That kind of answer is reasonable enough. It makes sense and we are apt to stop asking. If you persist, though, you may hear a different kind of reason. Here’s a bit of such a conversation:

You:

Why did you give such a large sum of money to the Boys’ Home?

Giver:

I told you. Those kids need help.

You:

But why you and why did you give to them?

Giver:

Oh, well, because I liked those people, those who asked me for the money.

You:

What did you like about them?

Giver:

First, there were three of them just to see me. They came to my home. I was expecting to meet them in a coffee shop or someplace like that.

You:

What did that mean, that they came to your home?

Giver:

Hard to say, really, but when I think of it, I guess they were paying me a compliment. They were telling me I was important.

You:

Important?

Giver:

Yes, important. I felt like the man of the hour. Initially, I had planned to give them a thousand dollars. By the time they left two hours later, they walked out with a check for $10,000. And I felt great!

That the donor felt “great” is the most important element in the transaction. We all know that, under the right circumstances, giving feels good, even great. Professional fundraisers make their living on just this one point – making people feel esteemed, important and larger than they usually do.

Lest one think this view is cynical, it is well to keep in mind that most of our actions are for that reason. We take pride in raising our children, not drinking and driving and being honest. Of course, there are principals that underlie our decisions but it is hard to deny the personal motivations that are a part of the whole process.

Psychiatrically, being philanthropic often elevates a person’s self-esteem. That is, the value we place on ourselves as persons, the way we rank ourselves relative to each other and the emotions that surround these considerations are all part of what we may call the self-esteem system in each of us. Probably, the main reason we act philanthropically is to feel better about ourselves.

Nowhere is this phenomenon seen so dramatically as in the case of mania. Such individuals are commonly hyperactive, hypersexual and seemingly joyous as they eschew sleep, food and responsibility. Subjectively, they feel like the center of the universe. They’re expansive, energetic, enthused and optimistic. In fact, they are exemplars – albeit, grotesquely exaggerated ones – of the philanthropic spirit. How is that so?

In mania, an individual’s ego ideal – that part of him he aspires to be – is fused with his ego. He is no longer seeking to become what he values most deeply in life. He is that person. A poor man views himself as the wealthiest man on earth. A plain woman plans to enter the Miss America contest. An 80-pound weakling enters the weight-lifting competition, and so on. Common to all these examples is that subjectively, each person feels “high”, great and special. In their minds, they are all they ever aspired to be. The experience is exhilarating.

Often, when individuals give to charitable organizations, they think of themselves as good, caring, loving and involved. Their donations serve as evidence that they are like that. Giving brings them closer to their ego ideal and the result is an enlarged sense of self and a feeling of great importance.

The difference between philanthropy and mania in this regard is that the ordinary charitable person is generally realistic. He or she can afford to give the money they do. The manic, on the other hand, is at some distance from reality, which means their judgment does not promote their self-interest or reflect the constraints the world imposes on them. Often the results are disastrous.

For a reasonable person, giving to others should enhance his self-esteem. Usually, the cause is one that will benefit others who would otherwise be left out in the cold. In the end, giving is the right thing to do – and doing so should build our self-esteem.

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