Secret Inner Powers: Altruism Can Fundamentally Change Your Life
Human beings have enormous inner powers, one of which is altruism. If cultivated, altruism can fundamentally change your life.
Altruism opens the heart and brings happiness to oneself and others. With sincerity and compassion, a selfless person offers support, trust and hope to all the people around.
Helping others without expecting anything in return can bring us many benefits we don't even suspect. Research by the Mental Health Foundation for England reveals that volunteering to help others is good for both our mental health and our general well-being.
Altruism Has The Power To Fundamentally Change Your Life
For a start, we can say that being altruistic makes us more confident, happier, and more optimistic. This is because acts of generosity can lead to a multitude of similar actions that contribute to a better society.
At the same time, the physiological changes that take place in the brain as a result of an altruistic attitude bring happiness: we have helped others, which has implicitly led to a more healthy body and helped us to forget, even for a short time, our own problems.
The soulful contentment gained from the thought of having helped others, as well as the interaction with them, also brings a sense of self-worth. In addition, relating to others leads to better social integration and is a huge help against loneliness and isolation.
Altruism can change our outlook on life and can generate a state of optimism, which implicitly helps our happiness and peace of mind. The physical benefits of altruistic behavior: it helps to reduce negative feelings and emotional states such as aggression; it reduces stress and thus strengthens the immune system, thus contributing to a better and longer life.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) produces an annual Global Generosity Index, which ranks altruism in different countries according to three criteria:
1. Percentage of people in the country who donated money.
2. Percentage of people who volunteered in different areas.
3. Percentage of people who helped other people with whom they had no direct relationship.
Burma, for example, is at the top of the countries with the highest rate of altruism and whose population met all three criteria.
This CAF survey confirmed at one point that more than half of the population of 140 countries have said they have helped a stranger, and the number of people volunteering as well as the number of people donating money to charity has increased considerably over time.
In assessing the mechanisms that trigger the instinct for generosity and altruism, CAF director Simon Ward points out that Burma and North America have suffered natural disasters. And going through a disaster makes us more sensitive to other people's suffering.
Likewise, individual and family hardships and problems that have been caused by economic crises have greatly increased the number of volunteers who have become involved in various situations. The question arises why does everyday tragedy spur generosity?
Scientists Are Trying To Find Answers About Altruism
Scientists have studied for many years to identify the factor that drives human beings to act selflessly on certain occasions. It has been found that some people may be genetically destined to have an altruistic, generous personality, as suggested by a study by Israeli specialists published in the journal "Genes Brain and Behavior".
To come to this conclusion, Dr. Ariel Knafo and his team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted several studies. They argue that generous people possess the AVPR1 gene that releases a hormone called arginine vasopressin which acts in a brain field that favors altruistic behavior. Dr. Knafo stresses that it is very important to be altruistic and to cooperate well, as society is becoming increasingly complicated on all levels.
By smiling and taking care of those around us, we can achieve a good mental and physical balance that will keep us fit. This will make it easier for us to overcome difficulties and troubles that today seem difficult to overcome. Being selfless means putting aside personal interests and desires to help others, and this also helps us to evolve and discover the true values of humanity.
Try to become more selfless and your life will definitely change for the better! Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are the fundamental values that we should adhere to as we journey through life - they have the power to transform us into selfless human beings, that are in perfect harmony with the universe.
