When we’re chronically giving and receiving nothing in return, we become “unmitigated givers.” Unmitigated givers embrace statements like “I always place the needs of others above my own,” “It is impossible for me to satisfy my own needs when they interfere with the needs of others,” and “Even when exhausted, I will help other people.” These selfless individuals, these sweet little giving trees, are more stressed and depressed, studies find. And their behavior costs—rather than benefits—their relationships. A meta-analysis found that people who were motivated to give experienced higher
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