The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
My friend Brian is a great giver. On your table or in your bag you discover a book you’ve heard about, a bottle you will enjoy, even a ticket you wanted. The gadget you did not know your kitchen was desperately missing he leaves behind after he visits.
Some people are born to play an instrument. A savant with wrapping paper and the right card, Brian is a natural-born giver.
You might imagine a world in which Brian is at the head of the class rather than alone in it.
How to cook, personal finances, how to be a good friend . . . the list of things school does not teach is long.
But since what Portia says about mercy—it blesses both the person who offers it and the person who receives it—is even more true of giving, you might think the subject would be mandatory in school, as well as something you could study into expertise.
Start with Giving 101 and then go on to the trigonometry of gifts, the calculus of service.
Would we have less giving if you could get a master’s or Ph.D in the discipline?