How Generosity Affects Overall Well-Being

980 Words4 Pages
Generosity or a spirit of giving is a difficult concept to understand unless a person has practiced this quality firsthand. An individual can be generous in multiple ways such as giving of time, talents, money, and more. Practicing generous acts throughout life can provide a level of higher well-being but giving organs post mortem makes a true difference for others in need. When applying for a new driver’s license most people fail tot put much thought behind checking the box on organ donation. The truth is, when verifying that position we are making a legally binding agreement to give our organs away. People have many reasons to donate whether it is faith related, a payment forward, a demand needing filled, or just a lack of selfishness. There…show more content…
Smith and Davidson discovered, “becoming an organ donor is relatively easy and many Americans (about 44 percent ….) are organ donors” (26).. Deciding to donate organs does not affect daily life unless the opportunity is taken to give a non-essential organ like a kidney. There are other ways to give to others in need by means of our bodies like donating hair or blood, but none make such a profound impact as giving of major organs. Smith and Davidson say that “Many sick Americans die while waiting for a donated organ to become available for them” (109). Machines can help with certain needs like respirators for those with lung conditions and dialysis for kidney malfunctions however there is no synthetic replacement like a true organ. Of course there can be many emotions that involve both the family of the donor and the recipient. Some experience guilt over receiving the organ and realizing their gain was another persons loss. Others may experience depression or anxiety over receiving such a gift. The family of the donor could feel relief knowing their loved one was able to make a positive change in someone’s life, or anger and resentment over not being included in the decision to make the…show more content…
The blood types, tissue matching, the distance for the organ to travel, and the amount of time spent on the waiting list are all taken into account. Health of the donor is taken into consideration but is not of the utmost importance. The health of the individual organ being donated is the most important factor when placing a match. A person may smoke for forty years and be unable to donate lungs but be capable of donating everything from eyes to intestines, or tissues like bone and skin. People willing to accept their fate and knowledgeable in the fact others are in need, can donate organs. Most religions consider selflessness and caring for others as a foundational moral standard so it may seem this is one topic mainstream faiths can agree on. Race, age, religion or background does not change the fact that someday we may find ourselves in need and having enough donors to match patients is always a challenging task. Looking from a standpoint that we as Americans claim united we stand we should support one another more and be willing to

More about How Generosity Affects Overall Well-Being

Open Document