This post may include affiliate links.
Some time ago, Bored Panda interviewed Suzanne Degges-White, Ph.D., about altruism and the instinct to help other individuals. “Many of us are raised to believe it is the 'right thing to do.' Basically, all spiritual belief systems have a version of the 'Golden Rule, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,'” the Licensed Counselor, Professor, and Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University told us.
"We also do good turns because we know that one day we may be in need of a little 'generosity from the universe,' so it's like putting 'money' into a karma account," the expert pointed out some of the reasons why we’re kind to others.
"Humans are wired so that when we do something kind for another, we feel good about ourselves and neurotransmitters like endorphins and oxytocin have been shown to get a boost when we do something good for another,” the professor noted.
“It is through cooperation that society functions, so the survival of the human race depends on being willing to help others. Family values, spiritual beliefs, and biology all play a part in this motivation," the professor told Bored Panda.
"Many of us take pride in being of service to others as it is culturally valued and we want to hold significance in our worlds. So when we do good deeds, we show others our willingness to help those in distress/need; we live out faith-based encouragement to treat others the way we would like to be treated, we uphold family values, and our brains get a positive jolt of happiness when we help others," she said.
