What Is Altruism?

Helping relieve negative feelings: Altruistic acts may help alleviate the negative feelings associated with seeing someone else in distress, an idea referred to as the negative-state relief model. Essentially, seeing another person in trouble causes us to feel upset, distressed, or uncomfortable, but helping them reduces these negative feelings.

Impact of Altruism

While altruism can have some drawbacks when taken to extremes, it is a positive force that can benefit both you and others. Altruism has a wide range of benefits, like:

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  Better health: Behaving altruistically can improve physical health in a variety of ways. People who volunteer have better overall health, and regularly engaging in helping behaviors is linked to a significantly lower mortality.⁶ 
  
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  Better mental well-being: Doing good things for other people can make you feel good about yourself and the world. Research shows that people experience increased happiness after doing good things for other people.⁷
  
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  Better romantic relationships: Being kind and compassionate can also lead to a better relationship with your partner, as kindness is one of the most important qualities that people across all cultures seek in a romantic partner.⁸