The Science of Giving

Issue #2382

• WEALTHY: Where your money should be when the market bottoms out (Andrew Gordon)
• HEALTHY: 4 reasons to get outside this summer (Shane Ellison)
• WISE: Nietzsche on giving

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

• Why helping others feels so good (Alexander Green)
• Don’t make readers laugh at your writing – if it’s not supposed to be funny (Don Hauptman)
• It’s Fun to Know… about the latest end-of-the-world prediction
• Add "paean" to your vocabulary

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Small Caps’ Unexpected Giddy-up

By Andrew M. Gordon  

Sooner or later, the market is going to hit bottom. And when it does, you’ll want to be invested in small caps (companies with capitalizations of around $3.8 billion or less).

Since 1979, according to Ned Davis Research Inc., the small-stock Russell 2000 index has returned 19.6 percent in the first three months after a market bottom, against 13.6 percent for the large-cap Russell 1000.

The superior performance of small caps can last a lot longer than three months, too. When the last bear market ended in 2002, small companies dominated for three years.

Why do small-cap companies rebound better than bigger companies?

1. Small caps do well emerging from a bear market because they get pounded during a bear market. With less financial and market muscle than bigger companies, they have the reputation of not faring as well when the economy slows. Investors consequently flee to bigger and supposedly safer companies. So when the economy and market begin to look up, these maligned small companies need – and get – a bigger bounce just to get back to "normal" valuations.

2. Even modest boosts in sales can have a big impact on the revenues of small companies. That’s not the case with bigger companies.

I like small companies with growing international sales. They shouldn’t fall as much as other small companies during a bear market. Plus, when the market rebounds, they’ll get the benefit of growing domestic and international sales. For a small company, that can be more than enough to grow profits and see share prices rise.

Most stock search engines will let you cull companies by market cap. But to see what they have in international sales (if any), you have to dig a little deeper. Still, it’s not hard. Most companies will mention global sales in their profiles. One place to find a company’s profile is on its main page in Yahoo’s finance section.

[Ed. Note: Yes, the economy is sick and getting sicker. But that doesn't mean your investments have to suffer. In fact, now's your chance to get a piece of a $300 billion cash pile looking for a home. Continue reading here...]

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"He who cannot give anything away cannot feel anything either."

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Science of Giving

By Alexander Green

A few months ago, I received a phone call from George Rupp.

Rupp is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Founded by Albert Einstein, the IRC serves refugees and communities victimized by oppression or violent conflict. When thousands run from natural disasters, war, or repression, the IRC is there, providing food and water, shelter, healthcare, and education.

Every Thanksgiving for the past few years, I’ve been sending Oxford Club members a letter reminding them how incredibly rich our lives are and asking them to remember the IRC, the world’s recognized leader in humanitarian emergencies.

I had never heard of George Rupp, however, until I got that phone call. "I’m just calling to let you know how much you’ve inspired us – our whole organization – with your letter," he said.

Embarrassed, I mumbled something in response.

"We’re planning to read it to Tom Brokaw and the other directors at the annual board meeting Wednesday. We’d also like to turn it into a national fundraising letter. Would that be all right with you?"

All right? I felt like I’d just been injected with 100 mL of pure dopamine. I love the IRC. I love sharing its mission.

By the time I got off the phone, my wife said I was acting so goofy I might as well take the rest of the day off. When I walked outside, the sky was bluer, the neighbor’s dog was friendlier, and the birds, I was sure, were singing in counterpoint. It was a weird feeling, really, and it left me scratching my head.

But now I’m beginning to understand it. New scientific studies show that we’re actually hardwired to feel good – and live longer – by helping others.

Dr. Stephen Post, a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, says, "The remarkably good news is that, over the past ten years, we have about five hundred serious scientific studies that demonstrate the power of [generosity] to enhance health."

You’ve always known that giving is its own reward. Now science has discovered a slew of side benefits as well.

Here are just a few key findings:

• Those who start giving in high school usually experience better physical and mental health over the next 50 years.

• Giving reduces mortality later in life too. People who volunteer for two or more organizations have a 44 percent lower likelihood of dying – and that’s after sifting out other significant factors like age, gender, marital status, frequency of exercise, smoking habits, etc.

• Giving generates a sense of inner freedom, serenity, and peace that affects the quality of life.

• Giving reduces adolescent depression and suicide risk.

• Giving helps us forgive ourselves, promoting a sense of well-being and greater self-esteem.

• Giving reduces negative emotions, like spite, rage, and envy, that contribute to stress-induced psychological and physical ailments.

• And Columbia University psychologist Eva Midlarksy has found that through giving we gain a greater sense of meaning in our lives, cope better with our own stress by shifting our focus to others, feel more socially connected, enjoy a greater sense of competence and effectiveness, and are more likely to live an active lifestyle.

Not bad. And there are many ways to give. Money, of course, is how most organizations get things done. But there are effective ways to donate your time, as well:

Volunteer. According to Doug Oman of the University of California at Berkeley, "Volunteering is associated with substantial reductions in mortality."

Create a Network of Giving. Find others who are isolated or ignored and invite them to join you. Studies show that all of you are likely to benefit.

Become a Mentor. Nothing is more beneficial to the young than connecting with a caring adult who inspires them.

Pass the Torch. As an older adult, you have accumulated a lifetime of wisdom and experience. Recognize your own value – and share it with others.

Biologist David Sloan Wilson says, "We have said since millennia – in fact, this has been a fundamental tenet of religion – that if you do good things, it will reflect back to you, not immediately, not every time, but in general. This is a deeply entrenched notion."

And now science is confirming it.

Giving is a simple act. Yet studies show that generous behavior may do more to protect and extend your health than vitamin supplements, green tea, fish oil, or an aspirin a day.

Each of us is flawed in a hundred ways. But giving redeems us. It ennobles us. It helps us create a better version of ourselves.

In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People Dr. Post writes, "You wish to be happy? Loved? Safe? Secure? You want to turn to others in tough times and count on them? You want the warmth of true connection? You’d like to walk into the world each day knowing that this is a place of benevolence and hope? Then I have one answer: Give. Give daily, in small ways, and you will be happier. Give and you will be healthier. Give and you will even live longer."

[Ed. Note: Happiness is well within your reach. Learn how you can make your life richer - in both senses of the word - right here.

And be sure to join Alexander Green, Chairman of Investment U and Investment Director of The Oxford Club, as he tackles some of life's more difficult challenges in his free, twice-weekly e-letter Spiritual Wealth. Sign up here.

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The Language Perfectionist: Don't Mix Your Metaphors

By Don Hauptman

A mixed metaphor is a combination of figures of speech that creates an incongruous or absurd image. The results are often amusing, although the humor is usually unintentional.

Consider these classics: "He's out of the frying pan and into hot water." "The sacred cows have come home to roost." "His victory is a springboard to rekindle his campaign." "It's on the back burner in a holding pattern."

Even Shakespeare occasionally mixed his metaphors: "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles." But writers who aren't as skilled can't pull it off quite so elegantly. Here are a few choice samples I spotted in the media:

• "It does not push the envelope over the edge."
• "If the shoe was on the other foot, I'd be peeling you off the ceiling."
• "It is his job to nail me down, but we are on the same page."
• "We operate close to the bone by the skin of our teeth."
• "It's just ham-fisted salami-slicing by the bean counters."

In your writing, be careful to avoid mixing metaphors - and creating consequences like those above. Here's how: When you review or proofread your work, visualize any metaphors it contains. See them as if they were literal. If the images are contradictory or ludicrous, rewrite or delete.

This procedure will help you iron out all the bugs. And that's the whole kettle of fish in a nutshell!

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was a direct-response copywriter. He is author of the wordplay books Cruel and Unusual Puns and Acronymania, and is now writing a book that also blends language and humor.]

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An Important Health Habit for the Entire Family

By Shane Ellison 

Though my wife and I have very different parenting styles, one of the things we agree on is this: Give the kids lots of sun exposure and never slather chemical sunscreen on them. Here are three reasons why:

• Sunscreen blocks the production of melanin (the pigment causing a protective tan to form), resulting in a higher risk of skin cancer.

• Sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D. A deficiency of vitamin D weakens the immune system and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. In children especially, vitamin D deficiency is also correlated with tooth decay and crooked teeth.

• Many of the chemicals found in sunscreens are actually carcinogenic (cancer causing) and estrogenic. If you see any of the following ingredients, steer clear: benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone), PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA), cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate), salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate), Digalloyl trioleate, Menthyl anthranilate, and Avobenzone.

Contrary to what sunscreen manufacturers wish you to believe, sunshine is not a death ray. It is a healing ray. Here are four main benefits of sun exposure:

1. It boosts neuropeptides that elevate mood and regulate appetite.

2. It reduces the risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma and 16 other types of cancer.

3. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis and increases bone density as a result of enhanced "mineralization."

4. It increases sex drive. Not that I want my kids’ libido to be rockin’, but this is good info for the dad who needs to get his bedroom energy back.

Note that I am not suggesting that you or your kids should ever get sunburned. You can definitely get too much of a good thing. Cover up with clothing to block the sun and go indoors if your skin is getting pink. There are also several natural sunscreens on the market. The best one I have found is a brand called UV Naturals, which is made with green tea extract, bees wax, vitamin E, and grape seed oil. Not only does it protect your skin from excess sun exposure, it also helps your skin look and feel younger. I tested it on my kids recently in Florida. Worked perfectly.

[Ed. Note: Getting more sunshine is just one way you can improve your health. For 5 more ways to experience vibrant health without prescription drugs, follow this link.

You can get "People's Chemist" Shane Ellison's advice on how to live young naturally with ETR's free health e-letter. Sign up here.]

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It’s Fun to Know: Will the World End in 2012?

The imminent end of the world has been predicted… well, probably since the first humans set foot on the planet. The date now in vogue with some New Age types is December 12, 2012. This coincides with the end of the current cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar, and also marks the day when the sun will be aligned with the exact center of the Milky Way galaxy for the first time in 26,000 years.

As with any doomsday prediction, there are naysayers. Other New Agers say instead of chaos and catastrophe we can expect a worldwide elevation of consciousness on December 12, 2012. And experts who specialize in ancient American civilization say all the predictions for that date are a major misinterpretation of Mayan writings and history.

(Source: USA Today)

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Word to the Wise: Paean

A "paean" (PEE-un) is a song of praise, joy, or triumph. The word is derived from an ancient Greek hymn of thanksgiving, often addressed to the god Apollo.

Example (as used by Mary Roach in a New York Times review of The Fruit Hunters by Adam Leith Gollner): "The Fruit Hunters is a paean to the overwhelming diversity of fruits on this planet, both botanical and human."

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Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008

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