--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Another activity that isn’t celebrated as…" description: "\"“Another activity that isn’t celebrated as charity is what Robin has called “marginal charity.”65 Here the idea is to nudge our personal decisions just..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/kevin-simler-14295_generosity_another-activity-that-isn-t-celebrated-a_1308125.jpg" --- # Another activity that isn’t celebrated as charity is what… ![“Another activity that isn’t celebrated as charity is what Robin has called “marginal charity.”65 Here the idea is to nudge our personal decisions just slightly (marginally) in the direction that’s beneficial to others. Normally we try to optimize for our own private gain. When a property…” quote by Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/kevin-simler-14295_generosity_another-activity-that-isn-t-celebrated-a_1308125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/kevin-simler-14295_generosity_another-activity-that-isn-t-celebrated-a_1308125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f4/kevin-simler-14295_generosity_another-activity-that-isn-t-celebrated-a_1308125.jpg) > ““Another activity that isn’t celebrated as charity is what Robin has called “marginal charity.”65 Here the idea is to nudge our personal decisions just slightly (marginally) in the direction that’s beneficial to others. Normally we try to optimize for our own private gain. When a property development firm is planning to build a new apartment complex, for example, they’ll crunch a few numbers to determine the most profitable height for the building—10 stories, say. But what’s optimal for the developer isn’t necessarily optimal for the neighborhood. Regulations, for example, might make it difficult to get building permits, which can result in housing shortages. So if the developer built 11 stories instead of 10, it would reduce their profit by only a tiny amount, but it would add a bunch of new apartments to the neighborhood.”” [Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-simler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Small, personal nudges toward helping others can create large social benefits without significant personal cost. **In simple terms:** Tiny acts of kindness add up. Key Takeaway Make marginally better choices for others. Themes charity social good incremental change self‑interest policy Mood inspirational practical Type ethical behavioral When to use this quote - shopping decisions - commuting choices - investment choices - community volunteering Key Concepts economics behavioral science ethics Questions to Reflect On - What tiny change could you make today to help others? - How can society encourage marginal charity? A Different Perspective Marginal improvements may be ignored if not visible or incentivized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Marginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-marginal-4319145/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Marginal Charity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marginal-charity-4319143/) [Optimal Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimal-neighborhood-4319144/) [Philanthropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropy/) [Private Gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-gain-955631/) [Profitable Height](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profitable-height-4319146/) ## Related quotes > [As Members of Congress, we should not be using public office for private gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jackson-lee/as-members-of-congress-we-should-not-be-using-public-office-for/) [Sheila Jackson Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jackson-lee/) > [Television news is a delicate balance of serving public good and private gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/television-news-is-a-delicate-balance-of-serving-public-good-and/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [We continually make decisions in private which affect the commonweal, as the ecologists (to take but one example) have shown us. 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If Charles’s physicians had simply prescribed soup and bed rest, everyone might have questioned whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-simler/but-notice-all-the-conspicuous-effort-in-this-story-if-charles-s/) [Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-simler/) > [“In fact, one of the best predictors of dominance is the ratio of “eye contact while speaking” to “eye contact while listening.” Psychologists call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-simler/in-fact-one-of-the-best-predictors-of-dominance-is-the-ratio-of-eye/) [Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-simler/) > [“Instead, by creating associations that exist out in the broader culture—not just in our own heads, but in the heads of third parties—ads turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-simler/instead-by-creating-associations-that-exist-out-in-the-broader/) [Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-simler/) > [“Thus we use laughter to gauge and calibrate social boundaries—both behavioral boundaries (norms) and group membership boundaries (who deserves how much of our empathy).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-simler/thus-we-use-laughter-to-gauge-and-calibrate-social-boundaries-both/) [Kevin Simler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-simler/) > [“In the broadest sense, there are at least two ways to use the danger of norms for comedic effect. 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Ask about the scale of their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Businesses acting as businesses, not as charitable donors, are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues society face(s)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/businesses-acting-as-businesses-not-as-charitable-donors-are-the-most/) [Tony Elumelu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-elumelu/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) [F. A. 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They are taught to give what they prize most, that they may taste the happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/children-must-early-learn-the-the-beauty-of-generosity-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was always clear that I didn't want to just do pure charity. My thinking was definitely about looking at the levers in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/i-was-always-clear-that-i-didn-t-want-to-just-do-pure-charity-my/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [Love doesnt stake claims. It is free for the giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/love-doesnt-stake-claims-it-is-free-for-the-giving/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“Secure-attachment 7Rs show more generosity than average. Thus 7R has something to do with generosity—but its effect is entirely context dependent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/secure-attachment-7rs-show-more-generosity-than-average-thus-7r-has/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) [Browse all 3,867 Generosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Another activity that isn’t celebrated as charity is what Robin has called “marginal charity.”65 Here the idea is to nudge our personal decisions just slightly (marginally) in the direction that’s beneficial to others. Normally we try to optimize for our own private gain. When a property development firm is planning to build a new apartment complex, for example, they’ll crunch a few numbers to determine the most profitable height for the building—10 stories, say. But what’s optimal for the developer isn’t necessarily optimal for the neighborhood. Regulations, for example, might make it difficult to get building permits, which can result in housing shortages. 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