Beneficent | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will focus on the holidays with some oh-so-festive words!

Do you like to shop? Some people love it, and other people…well, they just hate it! But either way, Americans do a lot of shopping. In fact, the average US consumer spends about 182 hours shopping each year, according to one survey.

If you love shopping, you might focus on the new clothes, electronics or other items you usually bring home. Or perhaps you dream about finding your favorite items on sale.

If shopping is not your thing, you may dwell on the throngs of people in the stores or the way your feet hurt after walking around the mall all afternoon. For these reasons, you may prefer to do your shopping online.

How you feel about shopping may also relate to your thoughts on gift-giving. For example, do you agree with the adage ‘Tis better to give than to receive? If so, you may be a beneficent (see definition below) person who sees lots of opportunities to give to other people. For example, you may not be that interested in giving material gifts, but instead prefer to give of your time by volunteering at a neighborhood community center.

This just goes to show that gift-giving doesn’t always require a trip to the mall!

Speak your mind: What do you think is the real purpose of gift-giving?

BENEFICENT: Characterized by acts of kindness, charity or generosity.