upworthy

Skip Black Friday and shop discounts at these companies making a positive impact on the world

Michelle Gant
11.27.19
Courtesy of DoneGood

While Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate all we have to be grateful for, it's also the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Last year, Americans spent about $1 trillion on gifts. What if we all used that purchasing power to support companies that reduce inequality, alleviate poverty, fight climate change, and help make the world better?

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the coming days will have spending on everyone's brains. But in an effort to promote the companies doing good for the world, DoneGood founder Cullen Schwarz created Shop for Good Sunday (which falls on December 1 this year.)

Dubbed the "Alternate Black Friday," Shop for Good Sunday is dedicated to encouraging people to shop brands that do good for people and the planet. It also serves as a reminder to support local businesses making a positive impact in their communities.

While Shop for Good Sunday technically falls on a single day, this year, participating ethical and sustainable brands are running discounts for the whole week prior.

Where you invest your dollars matters, and there's great potential to put that money to good use if you know how. Check out these six brands that sell amazing products while also making a positive impact on the world. You'll not only be getting your loved ones meaningful gifts, but also making the world a brighter place along the way.

Isn't that what the holidays are really about?

Functional outdoor gear

Parque Rain Shell

Cotopaxi makes unique, sustainable outdoor gear, like this Parque rain shell, while keeping ethics at the core of its business model. The company gives 1% of its annual revenue to organizations that fight poverty and improve the human condition.

Modern furniture

Simbly Coffee Table

Simbly is a direct-to-consumer furniture company that sells modern, sustainable products built in the U.S. made of FSC-certified wood. And for every product sold, the company plants a tree.

Beautiful jewelry

Tho Bar & Geo Buffalo Horn Earrings

Hathorway is a jewelry company that handcrafts its accessories with materials like ethically-sourced up-cycled buffalo horns and handwoven rattan. Each item is designed and assembled in the U.S. with thoughtfully selected materials sourced from Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. A portion of the company's profit goes to initiatives that empower young, underprivileged women.

Luxe linens

Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Set

Ettitude crafts its home textiles from CleanBamboo fabric, a unique material made from 100% organic bamboo, the most resource-efficient plant on the planet. It also requires significantly less water to grow and produce than traditional cotton textiles. The products are also ethically made and come in packaging made from extra pieces of fabric.

Unique wood wares

The Charcuterie Board

Would Works creates and sells beautiful household wood products handcrafted by people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty. The company works with its artisans to provide job skills, financial literacy, and an income so they can reach their financial goals.

Empowering candles

She Inspires Candle

Prosperity Candle products are created by women refugees building a brighter future for themselves and their families. Each candle is made of soy-blend wax with essential oils hand poured in a well-designed container that is easily refilled or repurposed.

Find more of these great deals at DoneGood!

*Upworthy may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.

black fridaycyber mondayshop for goodsustainability
Business

11 people share the 'harsh truths' that helped them become far more emotionally mature

"How people treat me is not my fault, but I am responsible for what I tolerate."

via Pexels

A woman listens to a harsh truth.

It can be heartbreaking to realize that someone you love can't live up to your expectations. It can be even harder to look back at choices you’ve made in life and know you could have been kinder or put more effort into things that really mattered.

However, when we bravely face the hard truths we have to learn in life, we become emotionally stronger. The struggle may be painful at the time, but as the saying goes, “We are stronger in the places where we’ve been broken.” On the other side of the emotional Rubicon is healing, wisdom, and strength.

A poster in Reddit’s emotional intelligence subforum asked users a very personal question that got to the heart of how they became stronger people: “What’s a harsh truth you had to accept to become emotionally mature?” The responses showed the power of taking personal responsibility and seeing yourself and others with rigorous honesty.

upset woman, woman driving, crying in car, honesty, realization An upset woman sits in her car.via Canva/Photos

The discussion is a wonderful reminder of the gold that we can find on the other side of heartache and loss. Here are 11 of the best harsh truths people had to accept to become emotionally mature.

1. Bad parents aren't an excuse

"Having sh*tty parents is not an excuse to be a sh*tty adult. At a certain point, it's on you to do the work and break the cycle."

2. Nobody owes you anything, nobody is coming to save you

"That's right, if you want change, start a revolution yourself."

"Or, as my therapist put it, 'the cavalry is not coming. It's on you.'"

3. You never truly know what anyone is thinking

"You will never really know what people are thinking. They will say what they think people want to hear or avoid the truth. You truly have to trust yourself and work with yourself. Identify what you’re thinking and feeling, and then work with it. And there are no answers. Some things will always be a mystery and never solved."

Psychologists call this phenomenon the Theory of Mind, which holds that we can understand and interpret others' beliefs, thoughts, and feelings to read social situations. However, even though we may come close to understanding other people's inner states, we can never be 100% sure.

upset man, sad man, man in his 30s, man by ocean, anxiety, depression An upset man grabs his head.via Canva/Photos

4. You can mean well and still hurt people

"Two things can exist at once! You can mean well and absolutely hurt someone’s feelings. You arent above accidentally upsetting someone."

"This one is huge to me lately. I had to break up with someone who I do love, but I can't be with anymore. He refused to believe I ever loved him if I was hurting him, I said two things can be true at the same time!"

5. Beware of takers

"Lots of folks are takers, and if you are a giver and don’t know this, they will drain you dry."

"My mum always categorises people by 'radiators' and 'drains.'"

6. Watch where you place your self-worth

"If you tie your self-worth to another person, you are giving them power to take your self-worth out the door with them if they leave. That's not a power you want to give them, and I highly doubt they would want that either."

7. People hear what they want to hear

"Feel what they want to feel, do what they want to do, say what they want to say... all we are control of is our boundaries and what we do with how we feel."

upset woman, woman at computer, calculator, stress, anxiety A stressed-out woman.via Canva/Photos

8. Radical accountability

"Radical accountability is often not fun but will completely transform your capacity, integrity, self-trust, potential for growth, etc."

David Goggins, a motivational speaker and former Navy SEAL, is known for championing the power of radical accountability. Here, he shares how he created an accountability mirror. Every day, he wrote a mistake on a Post-it note and attached it to his mirror. He then methodically worked on fixing each misstep.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

9. Being honest about motivations

"Being able to take responsibility for my actions means considering all of the harm I’ve caused and being able to look at my motivations honestly. It’s really hard to do that because the shame can be so strong, but it’s honestly really healing to be able to face yourself like that."

10. You're responsible for what you tolerate

"How people treat me is not my fault, but I am responsible for what I tolerate. I really didn't want to have to be accountable for myself for a very long time. It was simply easier to blame anyone and anything outside of myself for what happened to me. But I must admit that my life transformed once I started taking responsibility. Many people don't want to admit that they play their part in what happens to them (bar if they're a child, obviously - and very serious cases of abuse and violence). And I was one of them."

11. Some people will never reach emotional maturity

"That the people you love deeply and dearly may never become emotionally mature themselves. They may still try to defend and protect themselves even when all you wanted to do was be seen or heard. Taking it personally when you just want a resolution. It's realizing their limits are so much smaller than yours. What it so simple for you to do, even things like taking accountability for your actions, seems like a fkn mountain for them that they aren't willing to start climbing."

accountabilityanxietybad parentsemotional intelligenceemotional maturityhard truthsheartbreaking realizationlearningpersonal growthpersonal responsibilityrigorous honestystrengthwisdomharsh truths
Health

In an inspiring 1983 interview, David Bowie calls out MTV for featuring so few Black artists

"Why is that?"

YouTube/MTV News Screenshot

1983 interview shows David Bowie calling out MTV for questionable treatment of Black musicians

With MTV winding down to an end, old interviews are resurfacing online. Recently, an interview featuring the iconic singer, David Bowie, resurfaced showing the late musician essentially taking over the interview in the most respectful way. Bowie exuded kindness and compassion while simultaneously and vigorously advocating for others.

In the clip from a1983 episode of MTV News, the singer is being interviewed by Mark Goodman. It starts seemingly after the interview has been going on for a while. Bowie directly asks Goodman if he might be able to ask him a question. The reporter quickly agrees, not knowing the weight of the question that would soon follow, but Bowie wasted no time getting to the point. As a longtime advocate, he saw a disparity and took the opportunity to ask the source directly.

"I'd like to ask you something," Bowie says while fiddling with his sock, perhaps out of nervous anticipation. "It occurred to me, having watched MTV over the last few months, it's a solid enterprise, and it's going a lot going for it. I'm just floored by the fact that there are so many bl...so few Black artists featured on it. Why is that?"

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos David Bowie on swing in red suitElmar J. Lordemann/Wikimedia Commons

He finishes stumbling through his initial question, still picking at his sock, and makes direct eye contact with Goodman. The reporter attempts to explain that the network is trying to move in the direction of playing more Black artists, but is currently focused on "narrow casting." This answer wasn't enough for Bowie to move on. The late singer had several follow-up questions, which turned the interviewer into the interviewee.

"It's evident in the fact that the only few Black artists that one does see are on about two-thirty in the morning until about six," Bowie says matter-of-factly. "Very few are featured predominantly, predominantly during the day." Goodman attempted to interject before the recording artist interrupted to say that, over the last couple of weeks, he had noticed a change but called it a slow process. The reporter attempted to explain away the noticeable lack of diversity in the music videos shown during daytime hours by saying people like Bowie were not watching the channel long enough. But Bowie challenged the deflective answer as he dug for the truth.

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos David Bowie album coverPiano, Piano!/Flickr

"Because one sees a lot on the...on the...there's one Black station on television that I keep picking up, and I'm not sure which station it's on. But there seems to be a lot of Black artists making very good videos that I'm surprised aren't used on MTV," Bowie counters.

Goodman then shifts gears a bit, explaining that they're trying to make sure MTV reaches a broad audience, including suburban families. " Oh, of course, also we have to do what we think, not only New York or Los Angeles will appreciate, but also Poughkeepsie or Midwest, pick some town in the Midwest, it will be scared to death by Prince, which we're playing, or a string of other Black faces," the reporter says.

David Bowie; MTV; MTV ending; David Bowie interview; diversity; music videos PrinceWorld's Direction/Flickr

Interestingly, Prince is from Minnesota, which is about as gosh-darned Midwest as a person could get. Yet the late chart-topping artist was the first name listed as being scary to Midwestern suburban moms. David Bowie, still not impressed, simply replies, "Very interesting."

With Bowie delicately placed in the middle of what was likely a highly anticipated interview at the time, Goodman was clearly scrambling and proceeded to only make things worse: the MTV News host shares that once white artists pick up the musical styles and trends of Black music, taking it on as their own, then it will be more acceptable to be seen on the music network. This response came after Bowie asked the host if he felt the stations, including radio stations, had a responsibility to make the process fairer and more integrated.

"Absolutely," Goodman says. "I think it's happening because white music and white musicians are now starting to play more than ever what...more than they have lately. Let's say in the past 10 years, what Black artists have been into, and now, hopefully, the lines are going to start to blur, and when we play a band like ABC, well, there's white and Black kids there enjoying it, and all of a sudden it's a little bit easier for a white kid to understand it."

Goodman goes on to share about a letter he read in a magazine called The Record, where the writer was ranting about the things he didn't want to see on MTV (i.e., Black artists, we can assume). The former Labyrinth star replies to this revelation by stating plainly, "Well, that's his problem."

Even by today's standards, a recording artist openly addressing any lack of diversity in the media is rare. Bowie addressing the inequity during an interview in 1983 was truly groundbreaking.

advocating for othersblack artistsdavid bowiedisparitydiversityfairer processiconicintegrationinterviewslabyrinth starlack of diversitymark goodmanmidwestmtvmusic videosprincepublicity landmineresponsibilityresurfacing onlinesingerwhite artists
Pop Culture
Pop Culture

Gen X guy pretends the notorious '6 7' meme is a reference to historical events and it somehow works

Education & Information

Viral 2-minute reading test proves reading 900 words per minute isn't as hard as we might think

Culture

Costco famously pays its workers well. Here's how much they employees made on average in 2025.

People share the frugal habits they learned from relatives who lived through the Great Depression

"My grandmother kept all the clothes. They wore it, then cut it up into quilts or made rugs out it."

Image via Wikipedia

People share the frugal habits that people adopted during The Great Depression.

The Great Depression was one of the darkest economic times in the United States. Americans resorted to new levels of frugality out of necessity and survival. People went to great lengths to save, preserve, and reuse things.

The generations that lived through the Great Depression were the Greatest Generation (born 1901 to 1927) and the Silent Generation (born 1928 to 1945), and their children and grandchildren gleaned many lessons in frugal living.

In a discussion among Boomers and Gen Xers on Reddit, they shared stories about frugality and frugal habits they learned from their relatives who survived the Great Depression. From clothing to food and more, these are some of the most interesting ways they made it through.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"My grandmother kept all the clothes. They wore it, then cut it up into quilts or made rugs out it. Cut the buttons off. She had jars of buttons. All sorted by color. Once, I poured the potato water down the drain after boiling them. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She saved that for soups, gravy, or put it on her body as lotion after a bath." - Key_Investigator1318

"My grandmother worked in a boarding house for room and board while my grandad was on a rail gang painting train overpasses for the WPA. My grandma was taught to waste nothing, so she learned to can fruits and veg and salt cure meat. She also learned how to make cakes and pies from practically nothing. She had a lifelong habit of hoarding washed-out food containers- literally had a tower of margarine tubs- and newspapers. She used them for stuffing cushions, filling cracks in the wall (with wallpaper paste- like papier-mâché) and even make some Christmas decor out of old comics. Probably my most fond and direct memory/lesson is staying with them for the week or weekend- my mom was a travel agent who traveled often on "fam trips"- and she left me with the grandparents) were the cheap snacks they made on Saturday nights for games of cards and watching the late movie on a local TV channel: popcorn, slices of apple, and a snack I came to know as 'depression s'mores-' saltines, peanut butter and half marshmallows made into sandwiches and baked in an oven. Delicious." - AnalogAficionado

"My grandmother also never wasted anything. If the collar on a shirt got worn, she would unstitch it, reverse it and sew it up again." - evaniesk

"My mom was a great cook & baker. I asked her once why she worked so hard to get every last bit of batter, etc. 'Because you never know when you'll wish you had that bite.' My dad's mom made wonderful homemade bread. As kids he and his 6 siblings would eat fresh bread with milk and a little sugar as a special treat." - Single-Accountant306

the great depression; Florence Thompson; Mona Lisa of the Great Depression; Mona Lisa; the depression; depression era Worried mother and children during the Great Depression era. Photo by Dorthea Lange via Library of Congress

"Turning off the lights when you left a room. 'Kill the lights' my dad would say." - Notch99

"Recycle, reuse, how to make an awesome meal from leftovers. We used to call it 'Fridge Stew' and 'A Never Have Again meal'. Only because you will never have the exact same ingredients." - FOAD1951

"My parents were teens/20s during the depression and learned to never waste anything. Ever. Shoes worn out? Cut out cardboard and put it in your shoes like inner soles. Just don’t prop your feet up. Cold at night? Put newspaper between your sheets and blankets to keep the warmth in. Apple peels? Make jelly. Leftover potatoes? Make soup. Any vegetable leftover? Make soup." - tigerowltattoo

"My mother saved all the plastic bread bags and the twist ties. Also saved all paper bags from the grocery store. Used them to wrap our school books." - Tb182kaci

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"Sweet Jesus where do I start? Frugality and self sufficiency were the major themes. But they both were teenagers during the depression, both raised by single mothers in larger families. I was surprised we could throw away used toilet paper. I'm not a hoarder but I hate throwing things out. Just this morning my wife made me get rid of two pair of shoes. They were both less than 20 years old. I remember being taught to never live on credit, save and pay cash. I also remember my dad saying in the 70s that there were exceptions when interest rates were going over 15%. I bought my first house on a 17% mortgage and that was a VA loan. Still a good deal...It was rough being raised by two children of the depression. But they made me the man I am today and I wouldn't change a thing." - Tasty_Impress3016

"The tradition of an orange in the toe of your Christmas stocking. Sometimes it was all they could afford and it was treasured. The tradition continues in our family along with the story of why. Homemade bread because it was cheaper than day old store bread for school sandwiches. Winter coats as Christmas gifts." - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Always maintaining good credit because when you were dead broke you could at least pay for groceries on credit. That meant contacting your creditors before the payment was due if you didn’t have enough to pay the bill in full and explaining you acknowledge the debt, but hope that x dollars will be enough for now, until the weather makes work possible again. Also when you have money, don’t waste it. Put some by for the future. I’m old, and have followed this my whole life. At 74, my credit score is above 800." - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Hairdressers were for the wealthy. Get a friend to give you a perm/trim. Rags were better than rollers for curling your hair. (They are!!!! Soooo much more comfortable to sleep on.). Basically a clump of wet hair was wound around a small strip of fabric, the fabric ends were tied together and you slept on it all night so your hair could look nice for church on Sunday. Shoes that fit well were worth the money. (Too many hand me downs as a child caused foot problems.)" - MontanaPurpleMtns

"Keeping used fat in a jar in the fridge." Stardustquarks

"There was zero snack food in the house because money was not to be wasted on things like pop and chips that had no positive nutritional value. We did have cookies and other desserts - just always home made." - OaksInSnow

Culture

People praise YouTuber Kai Cenat after he was mocked for looking up words while reading books

The incredibly popular streamer is demonstrating what learning looks like in real time.

Kai Cenat/YouTube

Kai Cenat is on a mission of self-improvement.

Popular streamer Kai Cenat is making waves by doing something that shouldn't even be noteworthy, but is apparently seen as mock-worthy to some people. While reading a book out loud on his YouTube channel, the 24-year-old looked up words he wasn't familiar with in the dictionary.

Some people thought having to look up words was embarrassing, while others made fun of him for not already knowing the words he had to look up. Thankfully, that derision was met with a tsunami of support from people pointing out that this is a beautiful example of how people continue learning and educating themselves throughout adulthood.

In the online streaming world, Cenat is a giant. With over 20 million subscribers on Twitch, a platform popular with gamers, he is the top Twitch streamer in the world as of January 2026. Cenat is a gamer, rapper, YouTuber, and internet personality with a huge following among young people.

While his channels have largely focused on entertainment, Cenat has announced a shift toward learning new things and improving his mind. He's begun learning to sew to support his interest in fashion design and has set a daily reading goal to improve his mind and speaking skills.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Cenat has shared his "secret" YouTube channel, which focuses on what he's thinking about and learning. That's where he's shared videos of his new reading habit, which he says he began to become a better speaker. It's clear that he's learning to love reading, and it's quite delightful to see him get excited about the books he's working through. And while some people have scoffed, it's also delightful to see him increase his vocabulary by looking up words as he goes.

People on X have countered the critics with effusive praise:

"I can't praise this young man enough. This is the kind of display of curiosity, humility, and vulnerability that is in far too short supply among social media influencers." – @iowahawkblog

"Never hate on a man who's trying to better himself." – @Tectone

"This is exactly what kids need to see. This is great influence actually." – @BeLiKeDime

"This is literally how you teach yourself things lol nothing to mock here. The world would generally be a better place if more people humbled themselves like this." – @dissidentwest

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Being humble enough to know that you don't know everything and being vulnerable enough to learn in front of others is admirable, and many people acknowledged that:

"I know this is easy to mock but this is actually admirable of Kai Cenat to take a step back and learn how to read better. Everyone acts like they know everything these days, and while he used to flaunt his ignorance, Kai is humbling himself and growing. This is an objective W." – @kangminjlee

"Looking up words while reading isn't embarrassing; it's how or vocabulary grows. Curiosity, self-awareness, and a desire to communicate better are skills worth celebrating. Reading to learn is always a win." – @HachetteUS

"Every single person making fun of @KaiCenat for knowing his weaknesses and actively going out of his way, in a public manner, to overcome these and become a stronger, well read man, is a clown. Imagine making fun of someone for actively trying to become better." – @JulienHoez

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary company, praised Cenat, and award-winning actor Jamie Foxx called Cenat personally to share his admiration:

No one should ever be mocked or feel embarrassed about trying to improve themselves and showing others what that process looks like. Too often, people hide the slow, laborious details of learning and only display the result. Good for Cenat for demonstrating both the joy and the humility of learning in real time.

You can follow Cenat's "Kai's Mind" YouTube channel here.

Internet
Let's make it official, follow us on social.