When the giving tree is our paragon of generosity, we learn the right way to give is to give to the brink of ruin. We feel bad, morally bankrupt even, when we erect boundaries. When we eke out a no, we are racked with guilt and shame, wondering whether we’re defective because our will to give is finite. When boundaries trigger this guilt-trodden monsoon, it feels easier to just say yes. Anything is better than the agony of guilt.
