Why People Give

You may be reacting negatively to this discussion of fear. You may think it’s unfair or somehow inappropriate to play on one’s worst fears. But think carefully about fear.

Fear is a good thing, the same way physical pain can be. If fear weren’t a natural, built-in human emotion, we would find ourselves in trouble. Pain causes us to pull our hand back from the hot stove burner — a good thing. Fear triggers our fight-or-flight impulse, also a good thing. Fear is essential to our survival. The issue, then, is how to ethically and effectively use fear to motivate giving.