Have you noticed the world is filled with Givers and Takers. Some people freely give. They see life as a gift and love sharing it. Others just want to take. They see life as a game and try to get as many chips away from you as possible.
Interestingly, there are those in the middle who go for the quid pro quo. Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant calls these people the matchers. His research demonstrates a matcher always remembers to even the score. Hurt a matcher and they'll get you back. Help 'em out and they won't feel comfortable until they can offer you a favor in return.
Most people are Matchers. Many are Takers. A few actually give the most. You might be in this group yourself.
But be careful! The biggest failures in life are usually the Givers. The givers do really well with other givers and even with matchers, but when the giver meets a taker, that taker finds heaven. The giver keeps giving and the taker keeps taking until the giver has nothing left. The taker then walks away, fat and happy as the giver collapses to the ground in exhaustion and pain.
Interestingly though, life's biggest successes are also givers. They're the givers who have learned how to identify and avoid the takers.
When you give to a giver, they give back. When you give to a matcher, they also give back. It's the only way they can even the score. So as these serial givers keep giving, everyone around begins working toward the giver's goals. And when they succeed, the community cheers.
Grant has much more in his fascinating book, Give and Take.
So get out there and give. Have fun. Avoid the takers. For the world can't wait to offer a return on everything you have in your power to give.