Part 5 in Generosity Series

Generosity as Antidote to Feelings of Scarcity

Advertising plays a crucial role in capitalist societies. From the simplicity of someone calling out what they have to sell in a bazaar to the most emotionally sophisticated, algorithmically informed commercials on screen, the idea is to get people to be interested in a particular product/service.

The idea is to make the potential customer feel as if they will be better off by purchasing the particular product or service that is being offered. Often, the method used is to somehow make a person feel as if, currently, what they have isn’t enough. This incessant message--along with the fact that there are very few safety nets in this country, leaving everyone to fend for themselves--ultimately leaves one feeling that there is a scarcity of resources and they do not have enough. While the feeling of scarcity could be corroborated by an actual need for resources, it is not particular to that situation. There are countless stories of people with incredible material resources who live in fear of not having enough.

When the mind state of generosity is present, there is also a sense that there is enough. When one is filled with generosity, they are connected to the natural abundance of the world they live in. The feeling of scarcity is not present. In fact, it is not possible for the mind states of scarcity and generosity to be present at the same time. Generosity gives the mind relief from the fear and ensuing stinginess that is supported by our capitalistic culture.

The next time generosity is in your heart and mind, pay attention and notice how feelings of scarcity are not present. Not only does this help cut through the delusion of there not being enough, but it also will be the condition for generosity to arise again in the future, as we are more fully connected to how good it feels.