Generosity

Richard Schulze has given Mayo Clinic an impressive $48.9 million for a cancer treatment, both on the patient and therapy development.

I'm amazed at the generosity at these large donors. Yet I also wonder, who are these people who have such wealth that they are able to afford such a donation. The average American with a bachelor's degree will earn an average of $2.1 million over his or her respective lifetime. Those with a professional degree will earn an average of $4.4 million in lifetime earnings. An average high school graduate earns a paltry $1.2 million in a lifetime today.

A song from the first Shrek soundtrack also comes to mind. The song "Stay Home," speaks about the desire for a simple life and being happy.

" A simple life's my cup of tea
I don't need nobody but me...

...I wanna be a millionaire someday
And know what it feels like to give it away
Watch me march to the beat of my own drum"

It is interesting to think about what the pursuit of material goods and wealth may ultimately bring. The opportunity for a better life of one's children and fewer worries of financial hardships are legitimate reasons for wanting a career with a comfortable income.

Andrew Carnegie once said, "The man who dies rich, dies disgraced." This quotation may be an exaggeration, but it certainly speaks to the idea of accumulated wealth. In 1994, money accounted for a greater proportion of total giving by Americans than Scandinavia, France, or Britain. The article (linked above) suggests that this trend is influenced by tax breaks and other incentives, not found in other countries.

Though this post has become more jumbled than originally intended, I conclude with a few points to ponder:
1. Who is in a position to give?
2. Is it just as valuable to give time as money?
3. How will this rising feeling of philanthropy influence giving within first world and to third world nations?