REASON 04 OF 10

It works everywhere.

The joy of giving shows up in rich and poor countries alike, across 136 countries.

What the researchers did

Lara Aknin and an international team looked at survey answers from more than 200,000 people in 136 countries, asking whether people who had recently given to others were happier. They then ran experiments in Canada, India, Uganda and South Africa, where people recalled a time they spent money on someone else, or bought the same small gift either for themselves or for a child in hospital.

What they found

In most of the 136 countries, people who had given were happier, whether the country was rich or poor. In the experiments, remembering or doing a generous act lifted people’s mood across very different cultures, and buying the gift for a sick child made people happier than buying it for themselves.

What it means on G-Day

Dubai brings together people from all over the world, and so does 10×10. Whoever you thank and wherever you come from, the joy of giving needs no translation.