I like that. I also like to think about it as an investment in my future, and I always try to be kind to future Russell. I invest in my retirement, so investing in this makes sense too. Thanks for sharing!
Thank for the fun history of tithing. I’d wondered. The giving IS the gift, with no thought of recompense. I’m a gleeful SS tither. Ooh that conjugation makes me think of my Grandma Polly. “Don’t you tither and dither about!”
Grandma Polly sounds like a real poet! :-) In the history, I was most fascinated to see some people clarify that tithing was for those with property. Of course, that made sense, but I hadn't thought about it. Now "time, talent, or treasure" lets anyone participate. I might try some tithering and dithering this week. I'm all for other people's wise ideas.
Oh, now I think we need matching clown costumes, and an act called Tither and Dither. No one will look here and find out our real identities. It will be COMPLETELY SECRET! 🤫
At this point I'm a reverse tither. My paid subscriptions coming in are about 10% of those going out! I also try to return others' generosity in recommendations, notes, and comments.
Fascinating. I am still somewhat in a daze about the generosity of this community of writers. I've studied gratitude for several years and concluded that there is a strong bond between gratitude and generosity. It is out of gratitude that generosity flows. Perhaps it's out of the gratitude for this container that holds our writings, that all this generosity springs. All I know is I'm grateful to be here and I want to help all of us succeed in raising our voices. Love the idea that we are a guild ... and a guild takes care of its members. May we continue to find ways to support each other. Thanks, Tara.
Thank you, Joyce. I liked that idea of the guild also. It is nice that serving the self and serving others happens in the same action on Substack, so we have a base of self-interest to motivate us, and then there is room to be generous, too. I appreciate that the two are not in conflict. Passing over into generosity can be completely invisible.
It's worth noting that in the Old Testament, three different types of tithe or perhaps three different uses of tithe are mentioned:
1. The tithe to support the professional clergy (this tithe is the one most often discussed in organized religion).
2. The tithe that paid for pilgrimages, including travel to Jerusalem for various feasts and holy days.
3. The tithe that was administered personally by the tithe giver to assist widows and orphans in particular and the poor and disadvantaged in general. There is evidence that a direct personal relationship was created between the tithe giver and the tithe receiver, instead of donating the tithe through a third party for programming. It seems that giver and recipient both gain when virtue is not outsourced.
I use this type of direct action tithing to help fund my volunteer activities. For instance, I spent over a year assisting folks in Paradise, CA, after the fire to develop funding proposals, and designed and set up compliance and accountability systems for organizations that helped survivors rebuild. Instead of a consultancy fee, I paid my travel and work expenses from my tithe fund. If I saw someone with an unmet need, I paid for it anonymously from my tithe fund. It was an extraordinary experience that I recommend to everyone.
This third tithing approach is how I interpret the proposal for a Substack tithe. It might not necessarily involve buying subscriptions, although that might be appropriate in many case. I am immensely encouraged by simple affirmation from different writers on Substack, which several of you do regularly. Those affirmations are a very real tithe currency. Imagine how I felt the other day when Sherman Alexie commented on something I wrote. A real live writer I admire chuckled at something I wrote!
The possibilities are vast. Whether one's Substack subscriber list is limited to one's mom, dog, and parole officer (like mine), or millions and millions of subscribers, most of us appreciate a word of encouragement and gratitude for the outpouring of our souls in what we write. If Substack didn't exist, and if I did get the real human feedback from all of you who humour me, I would only have a few unfinished pieces gathering digital dust on a Mac hard drive.
I guess this is my way of saying I really like the idea of a Substack tithe.
Well said! Your Paradise, CA, example offers a good illustration of how a person can tithe with time and talent as well as cash. (It sounds like you gave of all three.) And I completely agree about the power of encouragement and simple attention here on Substack! Thank you for additional Old Testament history!
You've given so much interesting food for thought AND you've expressed so much of what I've been experiencing here of late as well. The community is amazing. I love how you've combined what's happening on Substack with the history of tithing. It's so true. And giving what you are able to give. I love being able to encourage and support whether in words or money (until my credit card hits its limit!) But so far, so good. :)
Right?? The word "guild" seemed such a fit as soon as it presented itself. Next week's post starts in a nineteenth-century newspaper. I hope that's not too modern for you. ;-)
I really like this concept. I think a good approach is to "guild" your ass off to hustle and help others grow while you're still nascent. There's so much mutually beneficial energy here, it's incredible.
I appreciate you calling the distinction out. Like you, I will be in a position to tithe some time in the future, and I really look forward to giving back in that way too.
Love this. What you say about reciprocity lying at the heart of Substack culture is so true. However, just as most mythologies obscure less savory truths, let's remember that this is a for-profit enterprise. Those who run it take a cut of whatever payments we receive (which is more of a tax than a tithe). I've mentioned this occasionally, and assuredly to my own detriment, whenever a success story about someone who turned a side hustle into a primary income is featured. Because there are some of those stories, but there are also many stories of people like us in this thread (I'm guessing) who would need 15-20 years to grow to that point. The owners of Substack still benefit from us paying each other -- those taxed pennies add up in the aggregate and represent a kind of collective wealth that we never see individually, just as Meta leverages our data for its own profit. And so another model that I've typically adopted is offering comped subscriptions to other Substackers. This allows us to engage with each other's paywalled content and do the kind of mutual support and amplification that you describe without paying more into the corporate coffers than we already do. It's possibly self-defeating to say this out loud too much, but I think it's another way of embracing the principle you describe so well.
Great point, Josh. It is one of your excellent qualities that you speak fearless truths. May it always be so. At my point in the game, I've been grateful that Substack lets us do so much for free, so I'm glad they get paid by someone. I see them giving a lot of value relative to the $0 they've had from me for a full year of messing around! :-) Your point is also a good one. There is a tipping point between a business needing revenue for services and a corporation vacuuming up whatever resources it can, and humanity in the bargain. Comp'ing fellow writers is good business for the mutual shares and could also be seen as tithing one's talent when it's not reciprocal or the value is unequal. If it's not one kind of good, it's another.
Fascinating perspective. The guild analogy fits so well. It’s also a literary enactment of the Golden Rule - which is a fine and simple basis for a lot of kind, generous behavior I’ve seen and experienced on Notes. I do understand this is a for-profit venture. I wonder what it could become as a cooperatively-owned venture but that’s above my pay grade.
Darn, Switter! Did you get cut off before finishing all 3 tithes, or am I having app interface jibbers? :-(
I think I fixed it. I poured some editorial Draino down the intertube drain pipe to dissolve my literary hairball clog.
I like that. I also like to think about it as an investment in my future, and I always try to be kind to future Russell. I invest in my retirement, so investing in this makes sense too. Thanks for sharing!
Kindness to the future self is also very valuable! Thank you for commenting. :-)
People with high strategic on Cliftonstrengths usually don't think of the future, so one of my mottos is "be kind to future Russell" :)
Thank for the fun history of tithing. I’d wondered. The giving IS the gift, with no thought of recompense. I’m a gleeful SS tither. Ooh that conjugation makes me think of my Grandma Polly. “Don’t you tither and dither about!”
Grandma Polly sounds like a real poet! :-) In the history, I was most fascinated to see some people clarify that tithing was for those with property. Of course, that made sense, but I hadn't thought about it. Now "time, talent, or treasure" lets anyone participate. I might try some tithering and dithering this week. I'm all for other people's wise ideas.
Tara the Titherer...sounds noble!
Hah! Alliteration! Watch out, or I'll confer a Most Florid prize. You might get a poem for your trouble! ;-)
Only Dee the Ditherer could be worthy 😉
Oh, now I think we need matching clown costumes, and an act called Tither and Dither. No one will look here and find out our real identities. It will be COMPLETELY SECRET! 🤫
👏👏👏and back up singers called the tee-dle-dees
At this point I'm a reverse tither. My paid subscriptions coming in are about 10% of those going out! I also try to return others' generosity in recommendations, notes, and comments.
I like that reverse tithe! Good way to put it. :-) Time spent generously is definitely in the mix!
Much to think about here. But I like the idea of writers helping writers.
Thank you, Mark. Me too. I'm grateful for how much of it I see here.
Fascinating. I am still somewhat in a daze about the generosity of this community of writers. I've studied gratitude for several years and concluded that there is a strong bond between gratitude and generosity. It is out of gratitude that generosity flows. Perhaps it's out of the gratitude for this container that holds our writings, that all this generosity springs. All I know is I'm grateful to be here and I want to help all of us succeed in raising our voices. Love the idea that we are a guild ... and a guild takes care of its members. May we continue to find ways to support each other. Thanks, Tara.
Thank you, Joyce. I liked that idea of the guild also. It is nice that serving the self and serving others happens in the same action on Substack, so we have a base of self-interest to motivate us, and then there is room to be generous, too. I appreciate that the two are not in conflict. Passing over into generosity can be completely invisible.
Thankyou for this thinking material.
Most welcome, Howard. I've appreciated making space to think about it myself. Thank you for reading! :-)
I like this essay and history. You've given me a lot to think about.
Thank you, Bill. I was fascinated to find out more about this history, too.
It's worth noting that in the Old Testament, three different types of tithe or perhaps three different uses of tithe are mentioned:
1. The tithe to support the professional clergy (this tithe is the one most often discussed in organized religion).
2. The tithe that paid for pilgrimages, including travel to Jerusalem for various feasts and holy days.
3. The tithe that was administered personally by the tithe giver to assist widows and orphans in particular and the poor and disadvantaged in general. There is evidence that a direct personal relationship was created between the tithe giver and the tithe receiver, instead of donating the tithe through a third party for programming. It seems that giver and recipient both gain when virtue is not outsourced.
I use this type of direct action tithing to help fund my volunteer activities. For instance, I spent over a year assisting folks in Paradise, CA, after the fire to develop funding proposals, and designed and set up compliance and accountability systems for organizations that helped survivors rebuild. Instead of a consultancy fee, I paid my travel and work expenses from my tithe fund. If I saw someone with an unmet need, I paid for it anonymously from my tithe fund. It was an extraordinary experience that I recommend to everyone.
This third tithing approach is how I interpret the proposal for a Substack tithe. It might not necessarily involve buying subscriptions, although that might be appropriate in many case. I am immensely encouraged by simple affirmation from different writers on Substack, which several of you do regularly. Those affirmations are a very real tithe currency. Imagine how I felt the other day when Sherman Alexie commented on something I wrote. A real live writer I admire chuckled at something I wrote!
The possibilities are vast. Whether one's Substack subscriber list is limited to one's mom, dog, and parole officer (like mine), or millions and millions of subscribers, most of us appreciate a word of encouragement and gratitude for the outpouring of our souls in what we write. If Substack didn't exist, and if I did get the real human feedback from all of you who humour me, I would only have a few unfinished pieces gathering digital dust on a Mac hard drive.
I guess this is my way of saying I really like the idea of a Substack tithe.
Well said! Your Paradise, CA, example offers a good illustration of how a person can tithe with time and talent as well as cash. (It sounds like you gave of all three.) And I completely agree about the power of encouragement and simple attention here on Substack! Thank you for additional Old Testament history!
You've given so much interesting food for thought AND you've expressed so much of what I've been experiencing here of late as well. The community is amazing. I love how you've combined what's happening on Substack with the history of tithing. It's so true. And giving what you are able to give. I love being able to encourage and support whether in words or money (until my credit card hits its limit!) But so far, so good. :)
I love that the credit card is not the only way! :-)
I never knew the history of tithing, so thanks for educating me. I also like your connection of the Substack community as a sort of guild.
As you know I’m quite obsessed with history so the idea of belonging to some kind of medieval guild is very appealing! 😂
My plan is to start tithing proper very soon!
Right?? The word "guild" seemed such a fit as soon as it presented itself. Next week's post starts in a nineteenth-century newspaper. I hope that's not too modern for you. ;-)
(But it works its way back to the 17th century and Milton, so we should be okay.)
Well if Milton is involved then I’m all aboard!
I really like this concept. I think a good approach is to "guild" your ass off to hustle and help others grow while you're still nascent. There's so much mutually beneficial energy here, it's incredible.
I appreciate you calling the distinction out. Like you, I will be in a position to tithe some time in the future, and I really look forward to giving back in that way too.
GYAO makes perfect sense and looks good as an acronym, too. :-)
Love this. What you say about reciprocity lying at the heart of Substack culture is so true. However, just as most mythologies obscure less savory truths, let's remember that this is a for-profit enterprise. Those who run it take a cut of whatever payments we receive (which is more of a tax than a tithe). I've mentioned this occasionally, and assuredly to my own detriment, whenever a success story about someone who turned a side hustle into a primary income is featured. Because there are some of those stories, but there are also many stories of people like us in this thread (I'm guessing) who would need 15-20 years to grow to that point. The owners of Substack still benefit from us paying each other -- those taxed pennies add up in the aggregate and represent a kind of collective wealth that we never see individually, just as Meta leverages our data for its own profit. And so another model that I've typically adopted is offering comped subscriptions to other Substackers. This allows us to engage with each other's paywalled content and do the kind of mutual support and amplification that you describe without paying more into the corporate coffers than we already do. It's possibly self-defeating to say this out loud too much, but I think it's another way of embracing the principle you describe so well.
Great point, Josh. It is one of your excellent qualities that you speak fearless truths. May it always be so. At my point in the game, I've been grateful that Substack lets us do so much for free, so I'm glad they get paid by someone. I see them giving a lot of value relative to the $0 they've had from me for a full year of messing around! :-) Your point is also a good one. There is a tipping point between a business needing revenue for services and a corporation vacuuming up whatever resources it can, and humanity in the bargain. Comp'ing fellow writers is good business for the mutual shares and could also be seen as tithing one's talent when it's not reciprocal or the value is unequal. If it's not one kind of good, it's another.
Thanks for the shoutout! :)
My pleasure, Ace of the International Page!
Fascinating perspective. The guild analogy fits so well. It’s also a literary enactment of the Golden Rule - which is a fine and simple basis for a lot of kind, generous behavior I’ve seen and experienced on Notes. I do understand this is a for-profit venture. I wonder what it could become as a cooperatively-owned venture but that’s above my pay grade.
Yeah, that would be above my pay grade, too. :-)
Once we recognize how fortunate we are, sharing of our abundance, whatever that is, seems like
an ethical next step. I'm glad to see the concept being promoted. Thanks Tara