Just. (Consciously.) Do. It.

 

 

Researchers in several different experiments have hooked up the brains of people while donating to their favourite charity and—whammo!—did the scientists have their socks knocked off. The test subjects’ brains lit up, mimicking the same physiological reaction as a hit of cocaine or nicotine.

 

I always thought doing charity was a trip, but it turns out, for some it’s addictive. Those warm fuzzies (i.e. the feel-good factor) are very real.

Other scientists have demonstrated that these reward pathways in our brains are indeed linked to our tendency to help members of our 'group' because we identify more closely with them and thus ensure mutual survival.

 

So the impulse to help is entirely human (and sure, feels great) but sometimes it’s just that the end result of those good intentions winds up being so, well, unintended. This column has explored the knobby-headedness of shipping goats and shit to ‘poor’ people in Africa or buying trinkets that keep kids on the streets selling them rather than in school. Jawaharlal Nehru once said, “Action, to be effective, must be directed to clearly conceived ends,” which to my mind pretty much slays 'good intentions' for once and for all.

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‘Tis the Season

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Nonetheless, we’re heading into the giving season for many cultures and you still want to (must!) do something and you’re likely also shopping for friends and family. One of the simplest things you can do is forego the shopping and donate the cash instead. Use sites like The Life You Can Save or GiveWell to see who they’ve independently vetted in the charity sector for programming effectiveness and delivering impact.

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Since we know you can’t shop your way to happiness, why not try the reverse and declutter your home instead? Face it, you have too much stuff. Gather up your old work clothes for young men and women just entering into the workforce or those trying to get back into it after a personal setback. How about cleaning out your shoe pile while you’re at it?

 

If you have more time than either money or possessions, you can also check out the VUFO–NGO Resource Centre for volunteer listings, as well as the UN Volunteers Viet Nam site. The UNV site also occasionally has online volunteering options available as well. The LIN Center for Community Development is another good place to get started if you’re looking to match your skill set with a Vietnamese nonprofit organization.

 

What Can You Contribute?

 

A quick online search will turn up other local NGOs—large and small—that you can research and contact to find out if there is a fit for you and them. Just remember to increase your chance of success with a meaningful project (beginning, middle and end!) that serves the stated mission (and needs) of the organization. People might think of the big stuff like human rights and poverty alleviation, but what can you contribute to the arts, sports and education of the under-served of Vietnam? There are plants and animals that could use some warm fuzzies too.

 

Here’s to you and your holiday spirit; however you may celebrate or act on it.

 

Peace.

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Photo: Jeremy Thomas / unsplash.com

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This article originally appeared in Word Vietnam magazine and has been adapted. To view the magazine’s online version click here.