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Is generosity the new sexy?

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend. But if it’s a woman’s heart you’re after, guys, try generosity.  That’s the word from the research team over at Razoo, the fast growing online crowdfunding  platform.

iStock_000017019459Share croppedWhen asked “What qualities, if any, do you think makes someone sexy?” responses with a tip of the hat to generosity topped the list. “While only 6% of respondents think being wealthy makes someone sexy, more than half (52%) of the 2,059 U.S. adults aged 18 and over surveyed online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Razoo stated that caring about giving to others makes a person sexier.”

Although an other-focused outlook appeals to both genders, women in particular find generosity hard to resist. Female respondents to the Razoo survey cited the top-three determinants of sexy as:

  1. Someone who treats family and friends well
  2. Someone with a good sense of humor
  3. Someone who cares about giving to others

“It’s encouraging to see how important caring about others is to people,” said Lesley Mansford, CEO of Razoo.  “We believe the act of giving benefits the donor as much as the recipient, if not more so. It is primarily matters of the heart that drive us to connect with each other and give of ourselves – the same motivation that tie us to the charities we care about.”

SAYING I DO TO GENEROSITY

The Razoo folks aren’t the first to link generosity with the ability to win and hold the heart of another. Their finding was found long ago by marriage and family counselors.  Kindness and selflessness are foundational to a happy home. According to the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project, the importance of generosity toward our spouses is not to be underestimated. In fact, it may be the key to marital success.

“Men and women with the highest scores on the generosity scale were far more likely to report that they were ‘very happy’ in their marriages. The benefits of generosity were particularly pronounced among couples with children.”

So there you have it, yet another reason for proclaiming that generous matters. Granted, it’s not my usual argument. But if naming generosity as the new sexy gets a fresh batch of first-time donors in the door, well . . .