Are You a Giver or a Taker?
Or somewhere in between like most of us.
I went down this rabbit hole the other day. Something piques my interest then there I go. I saw this picture of this kid with some serious scars, and thought what is that all about?
GIVER:
That is Anthony Borges.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Parkland, Florida | 17 Killed, 17 Injured
February 14, 2018
Shot at age 15. Anthony barricaded a door to a classroom to protect other students, saving as many as 20 lives. He was the last of the injured to leave the hospital.
A lone gunman was armed with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and multiple magazines, said Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
Anthony said: “I was in the hospital for like two months. I wasn’t bored — the pain wouldn’t let me get distracted. It was all over my body, not just where I’d been shot. Imagine that someone stabbed you with a knife and wouldn’t take it out, would just push it in.”
“The physical therapy is helping a lot. A lot of the exercises are like the things you do before a soccer game. Still, I can’t feel my left foot. I’ve gotten skinnier, and when I stand up, I have trouble breathing. The goal is just to be able to move my entire body normally. I can’t run, and I want to run. I’m doing homeschooling now. I’m not sure when I’ll go back to school. I don’t want to; I don’t feel safe. I don’t talk about it with anybody — I get really upset. I can’t talk about it with my friends. I did what I had to do — that’s why I don’t like being called a hero. I want people to remember what happened as a miracle, from God.”
This guy is the definition of a giver. He was willing to give the most important possession we have - his young life - to save other people.
He was shot five times during the Feb. 14 school shooting, which killed 17 people. He barricaded a classroom door and used his body as a shield as the bullets flew, protecting a class full of students.
TAKER:
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan ( c. 1158–1162 – August 18, 1227), born Temüjin, was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history.
What did he take?
Lives, Land, and Everything that was in the conquered lands. Which was a lot.
His Advantage: In Genghis Khan's army, every soldier traveled on horseback. This all-cavalry army was easily the most mobile military force in the world. The Mongols' horses could travel almost anywhere, grazing along the way.
After the founding of Mongolia, Genghis Khan began to launch large-scale wars of conquest. He conquered China, Central Asia, and other countries as far west as Eastern Europe.
By the time he died in 1227, he controlled almost 1/3 of Asia. His empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. His empire was more than two times bigger than the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great.
Historians say up to 40 million people or 10 percent of the world population at that time were killed or died because of Genghis Khan’s attacks. Famine and disease resulting from war killed a large portion of the people. He eradicated many cities and countries that opposed him.
Genghis Khan Fact: About 1 in 200 people today are estimated to be descendants of Genghis Khan. He has the most descendants of anyone ever in history. Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan…
More on Givers and Takers:
https://nextbigideaclub.com/adam-grant-the-9-key-insights-from-adam-grants-give-and-take/1551/
https://www.adamgrant.net/book/give-and-take/
This: MACKENZIE SCOTT ONCE AGAIN REMINDS PEOPLE JEFF BEZOS IS A CHEAPSKATE BY COMPARISON
The Amazon founder has GIVEN diddly-squat to charity compared to his ex-wife.
and
$500 million yacht for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.
Today’s story is about contrast. I think most of us fall somewhere between being Givers, and Takers. These examples are the extremes of both of these traits.
I hope it was interesting to you as well.
I love comments, so do that if you’d like. Thanks to the subscribers, and see you next time!
Pray for peace in Ukraine.
Great examples of contrast! And the Mackenzie Scott/Jeff Bezos article link also is a wonderful example of contrast..oyy. I agree most of us fall somewhere in between and I think it would be interesting to ponder how that changes throughout one's life too. I'm picturing some sort of oscillating graph in my head and then I wonder if you could correlate that to happiness...
Tom Littledyke, a former UK Royal Marine, drove his mini van full of toys and supplies, 1000 miles to the border of Ukraine/Poland to help after seeing photos of families that were separated by the conflict.
When asked why he is doing this he said, "Too often we think that we have to do something grand and if it isn't grand what's the point. It doesn't matter what we do as long as it's in the right direction."
I'd like to think that people will make choices to move in the right direction. It doesn't have to be grand. It can be as simple as a smile, or it can be the many things we are seeing people do currently to help those in Ukraine.
Good timing for this post. By the way, friends of ours live in Parkland and their daughter lived through the shooting spree at her school that day.