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Donut Conundrum

Friends,
If I were to give you my Rocky Mountain National Park landscape print by Ansel Adams, you'd be a work-of-art richer and I'd be a wall decoration poorer. Common sense, right? Yet, every day that print hangs on my wall it becomes less novel and delivers slightly less enjoyment to me. On the other hand, in gifting it to you, I gain your priceless reaction and your gratitude. Furthermore, your relative enjoyment of the photo would surely be greater than mine (due to the novelty) and I would still get to keep my memories of that print. It seems to me that act of giving generates greater utility across both the giver and the receiver than would clinging to my precious possession. I suppose that's why they say it's better to give than to receive. It's so simple, yet that's not how we behave at all. We work so hard to grow our collection of material goods -and take them for granted the minute we acquire them- as our rainy day fund approaches great flood preparedness status. This morning, I'm taking a personal day to go on a hike and ponder this conundrum, so, Kelly Crosby has kindly agreed to purvey donuts for the office. And while you enjoy them, I'd like you to also enjoy a photo of my view. Granted, I'm no Ansel Adams, still, they say it's the thought that counts.
Happy Friday!

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