Grozgigkeit: Giving makes you happy
The "The wonders of Braunschweig" started in 2011 with a nondescript envelope that was received at the Foundation for assistance to victims. In: 10 000 Euro in cash. The Wohltäter remained anonymous, no Name, no note. And it remained at a mild dose. Four years of a real money went down to the city of rain. The transport controls, a Kindergarten, the star singer, a Suppenküche, a hospice, a severely disabled Young – you all begifts came from. More than 260 000 Euro have been in weiße Umschläge Packed and to individuals and organizations. By whom? The weiß until today, no one.
The story sounds almost too schön to be true. It fits so üin General, not in the idea of the selfish nature of the people – of, if he is already, at least thanks, praise, recognition dafür reap mönot a big deal. This selfless Groß is;züreceived quite a part of our everyday life. People risk their lives für other, prescribe their leisure time to a good cause, share your money.
Who is prosozial, expecting nothing in return
The Numbers are impressive: 15 million German on a volunteer basis, 2.6 million per year to donate blood, 5 billion euros in gifts Bundesbütrouble in 2016 gemeinnü- profit organizations. "As prosozial we refer to behaviors that other people use, and the cost für a self-connected sind", Anne Bö says;ckler-Raettig, psychology Professor at the Universität Würzburg. "These costs köcan about köphysical resources are concerned, we can invest in to help someone move. Or the time that we are bringing in, for example, to a friend to trömost. But also material things, we share zämiss."
Who is prosozial, even for the benefit of other zurück and expect nothing in return. However, what is not heißt that eigennüprofit motives üin General play no role. Who regelmäßig für colleagues cake bakes, does the probably first and foremost, in order to make this a delight. Maybe the expectation resonates with but, dafür on the Büto climb ro-popularity scale to the top. Schließit is a social erwüwant to get, für the community, and self-zurückzustellen.
Through selflessness, a society works better
There is, therefore, pure altruism without an ulterior motive üin General? "Großzügiges behavior, in fact, makes actually no sense, if you öeconomic denkt", Soyoung Park, Professor fü says;r Sozialpsychologie and neuroscience at the University of Lübeck. "But such behavior is very important für our Üsurvival, and much für the Functioning of a society."
Scientists at the Universitäten Zürich and Erfurt found, for example, that Uneigennützigkeit and cooperation key achievements in human development history. The hämore often the members of a group großzügig and altruistic behaviour, the größhe was the Üsurvival benefit of the entire clan.
So ließe also erklären, why we gegenüber nahethe people are generous as gegenüber is Unknown, as a study by the Heinrich-Heine-Universität DüDusseldorf shows. Self-sacrifice does not use according to this theory, the individual – but in the community.
Großzügiges behavior activates the reward center
However, each Individual can directly benefit from a blood donationcall to follow, or the elderly neighbor, the Einkäto carry the ufe to the second floor. "If we großzügig of behavior makes us the glühappy", weiß Soyoung Park. The close Verknücreation between Giving and Glück shows, even in the brain, as the researcher, together with colleagues in an Experiment found out. According to the results, activated großzügiges behaviour of a brain area closely associated with our reward center verknüpft.
This connection köcould also erklären, why do people always are ready, even strangers to help – money für organizations in the third world tätig. Or by an organ donation. 834 people verfügten in the last year, that after your death with one of your organs to an unknown patient’s life can be saved. What makes this Form of altruism: The donor is experiencing the A result of their own Großzü- dependency no more.
Tatsäthe take a firm commitment, groß is often sufficient;züto behave gig, the Gefühl the satisfaction spüren. Expert Park: "Exciting way of making even glüfor your reference, as a self-reward."
Altruism: genes and brain structure play a role
The question of why some people social behavior remains than others. A basic dafür köcould be, if you believe the science, our genes. Researcher Martin Reuter, a Professor für of psychology at the University of Bonn have identified a specific Gene that the Experience of positive emotions influences. Depending on the variant of this gene donated volunteers in an attempt to more or less money für a wohltätransparent purpose.
Also, the brain structure seems to affect the degree of our selflessness. Economic scientists from the University of Zürich found that the amount of gray matter at a certain point of the Mind has impact on how altruistic we behavior. The same Region also seems to zustäfully to be für the processing of Mitgefühl.
The researchers gave volunteers money they should divide between themselves and an anonymous partner. Your Gehirnaktivitä was;t recorded. The Tests were able to show that the said region of the brain was always active when people are at the limits of their Großzüpeople came – in the case of the more stingy genügten to small sums.
Altruism is learned and of traditions, influences
Since it is tröto the East, that the gift to give is not only determined by biology. People are mainly of social norms, values, and morals geprägt. The environment decides with darüabout how großzügig we act – this is substantiated by numerous studies. Altruism, therefore, is a learned behavior that society expects and rewards. And this is also influenced by traditions. So it is hardly surprising that in December of 2016, more than three times as much was donated, as in the other months of the year – around the Feast of love, the Groß has;züdependency high season.
But it really is genuine altruism, when we get round to Christmas plöaddition all and each and every gift? "Prosocial behavior is characterized schließnot that it give us no pleasure darf", Anne Bö says;ckler-Raettig. Whenever we share time and energy, or our possessions, it is a Investition, which offers a double dividend: the Glück für other and themselves.