I find the story of Chuck Feeney fascinating. Imagine working to accumulate a wealth level that few in history ever have, that most struggle even to understand – then giving it all away.

Feeney gave it all away before it was cool. Before Gates and Buffet led the charge to create the Giving Pledge.

I think there are a few lessons to be learned from these individuals. My theories:

1. There is a diminishing return on the satisfaction one receives through attaining more.
2. At a certain point, when one “has it all” (or at least access to it), they realize that the satisfaction received from helping others does not have the same diminishing return. The return is arguably exponential (or linear at its worst).
3. If true, the highest form of self-pleasure ultimately ends up being to help others. The purest form of hedonism ends up as altruism.

Now, here’s the giant leap. When it comes to achieving this level of self-pleasure, everyone can do what the billionaires are doing.

How?

Because it’s the numerator that matters, not the denominator, the satisfaction comes from knowing that you are giving what you are capable of giving. If you have an extra $100, $1,000, or $1,000,000 and choose to pursue the good of others over an incremental or meaningless gain for yourself, it’s the same thing.

You can achieve the same thing, the same feeling that billionaires do. 

By giving what you can.