Altruism & Service

Have you ever noticed that when you give a gift to a friend, you feel just as happy as they do? Altruism is the idea that the point of being alive is to help other people. It is like being a helper in a big family where everyone looks out for each other. When you share or help someone who is sad, your heart grows bigger. We are all connected like links in a chain, and when you strengthen someone else, the whole chain gets stronger.

The chain does not get stronger when one link hoards strength. It gets stronger when every link holds the next one up.

Altruism is selfless concern for others' wellbeing. Reciprocal altruism in evolutionary biology explains how helping benefits group survival. Acts of service trigger oxytocin and dopamine (helper's high), suggesting biology is hard-wired for prosocial behavior: service as both biological and spiritual fulfillment.

SOUND: Someone saying thank you with a sincere voice.

SMELL: A communal kitchen cooking for many people.

TASTE: Sharing a meal where everyone gets enough.

TOUCH: The warmth of a hug or a supportive pat on the back.

SIGHT: A community coming together to build or fix something.

BODY: Carrying something for someone else: purpose has weight you can feel.

Music: Masters of War by Bob Dylan

Music: Life Is a Highway by Tom Cochrane

Part of Meaning & Purpose — PHILOSOPHY — Education Revelation