REASON 03 OF 10

Giving beats keeping.

Spending a little on someone else lifts your mood more than spending it on yourself.

What the researchers did

Elizabeth Dunn, Lara Aknin and Michael Norton handed people an envelope containing $5 or $20 in the morning and asked them to spend it by the end of the day. Half were told to spend it on themselves, half on someone else or on charity. The team also surveyed more than 630 Americans about their income and spending, and followed employees who had just received a bonus.

What they found

People who spent the money on others felt happier by the evening, and the amount made little difference. In the survey, spending on others went with greater happiness, while spending on oneself did not. Among the employees, how they used their bonus mattered more for their happiness than how big it was.

What it means on G-Day

Ten dirhams is a small sum. The research suggests that the size of the gift matters less than the act of giving it, with care, to a person who will feel it. Ten small gifts, ten moments of giving.