Reading time: 3 minutes
Helping others and the link between altruism and happiness
Have you ever wondered what altruism is? Altruism is the principle and moral practice of caring for the happiness of other human beings or animals. It offers both a material and spiritual quality of life. It can be summarized as follows: by caring for others, you promote your own well-being.
There is a Chinese proverb that says, "If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for a day, go fishing. If you want to be happy for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, help someone." This perfectly explains the concept of altruism: finding happiness by helping others.
The Scientific Link Between Altruism and Happiness
Scientists have validated the idea that altruism and happiness are directly linked. Altruism, which is expressed through compassion, empathy, helpfulness, and a willingness to care for others, impacts our well-being, health, and lifespan. By showing compassion, both emotionally and through our behavior, we act for our own good, as long as we are not overwhelmed by the help we provide to others. 1
Researchers assessed a group of people who experienced stressful events over a one-year period and then determined whether they provided any practical help to friends or family members. They concluded that people who gave their time and talents to help others were significantly less likely to die during the study. 2
How can leading an altruistic life bring about these benefits?
Several factors may be at play. For starters, the feeling of satisfaction we often experience after helping someone in need is caused by endorphins, and likely also by endocannabinoids. These are the same feel-good chemicals our bodies release during exercise to reward us for taking care of ourselves (or, in this case, others).
Helping others often reminds us to be grateful for what we have. In an age where we are constantly seeking to acquire more and more possessions and constantly comparing what we have with what others have, cultivating gratitude can be extremely enriching. It helps us detach ourselves from our desires and live more freely in the present moment with what we have, and above all, to derive satisfaction from it!
Helping others makes us forget our own problems
Focusing on the good we do for someone else can break cycles of negative thinking and reduce our own worries. Studies have shown that people with medical conditions have been able to reduce their own worries and disabilities by counseling others about the same conditions. 3
The happiness we feel from leading a life based on compassion and helping others is a very specific kind of happiness. Groundbreaking research from UCLA and the University of North Carolina has corroborated this hypothesis. Scientists have been studying the link between happiness and inflammation, which is supposedly at the root of cancer and other chronic, non-infectious diseases. Inflammation is often higher in people who experience high levels of stress. Given that stress and inflammation are linked, one might imagine that those who report living "happy" lives would be less prone to inflammation. This is false!
Surprisingly, the researchers found that if a person's happiness is the result of a life of pleasure (also called "hedonistic happiness"), their inflammation remains elevated. Conversely, when happiness results from an altruistic life (also called "eudaimonic happiness"), the levels of inflammation recorded were low. 4
Being altruistic without feeling guilty
Sometimes it's good to remember that you're allowed to feel satisfaction from helping others, rather than thinking you're only doing it for selfish reasons. You're making a difference in someone's life. It's wonderful, and you should allow yourself to embrace that feeling without feeling guilty.
The benefits of altruism and happiness go hand in hand. They both help enrich your life with wonderful, positive experiences and feelings.
According to research, we're born with an innate desire to help others. Listen to it! Scientists at the University of British Columbia discovered that children as young as two years old reap the benefits of altruism. When asked to give treats to other toddlers, those who gave the treat felt a greater sense of happiness than those who received it. 5
It's proof that we're meant to be helpful, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying it. Remember, you're a good person and you're not helping others out of selfishness. But the joy of doing a good deed is a nice bonus!
- Post SG. Altruism, happiness, and health: it's good to be good. Int J Behav Med. 2005;12(2):66-77. [ ↩ ]
- Poulin, Michael J. et al. Giving to Others and the Association Between Stress and Mortality. American Journal of Public Health 103.9 (2013): 1649–1655. [ ↩ ]
- Carter, Sherrie Bourg. Helper's High: The Benefits (and Risks) of Altruism. Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, September 4, 2014. Web. July 13, 2017. [ ↩ ]
- Fredrickson, Barbara L. et al. A Functional Genomic Perspective on Human Well-Being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110.33 (2013): 13684–13689. PMC. Web. 13 Aug. 2017. [ ↩ ]
- Aknin LB, Hamlin JK, Dunn EW. Giving Leads to Happiness in Young Children. PLOS ONE 7(6): e39211. [ ↩ ]