The Giving Path

In More Give to Live, Dr. Douglas Lawson provides evidence that the urge toward generosity begins early in life. He describes a continuum that he calls the “Giving Path.” This path begins with parents teaching and modeling examples of generous behavior. When the children are old enough to go to school, the Giving Path continues, with teachers and religious instructors reinforcing principles of generous behavior.

Eventually children begin to give and to share on their own, using their own resources to help those in need. In their teen years, they embark on volunteer service—perhaps a…