How Generosity May Help You Be Happier and Live Longer

[@NutritionFactsOrg]

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[@dianeladico1769]

Great topic for Giving Tuesday. I'll add that generosity of spirit is also important. Smile, say a kind word, thank someone and mean it, tell someone they are appreciated and why, be a good listener and be truly present in a conversation. It costs nothing so no matter your own situation you can do it and it can improve someone's day in ways you may never know. Some people can go all day or longer without a kind word or gesture. You may not have any money to spare but a little kindness may do someone more good in the moment than a tangible gift. My parents made a point of making every interaction pleasant for the other person whenever possible and taught me to do the same. I could always be better at it but it's one of the most valuable things they taught me. At their funerals I lost count of the number of times I was told by someone that my parents always made them feel good about themselves. I'd love for the same to be said of me.

[@OnlineMD]

Wow, Dr. Greger, this is truly an OUTSTANDING and VALUABLE video! In Sanskrit, there are two related words: Däna (pronounced Daana) which is similar in meaning to "Donate," and Séva (pronounced Say-va) which has the same meaning as "Service." These two behavioral patterns are emphasized in the Hindu tradition. The Buddhist tradition has a superb practice that is taught to students: Metta. This is a Pali version of the Sanskrit word MITRA (pronounced Mithra) which means Friendliness. Buddhists in the West came up with a more gooey translation of "Loving Kindness" which has great emotional appeal but is not an accurate translation of the term. I like to think of it as the radiance of friendliness. The Sikh tradition emphasizes Séva or service as a core practice. That is why every Sikh Gurdwara, or place of worship, includes what is called a Langar (the lang is pronounced as in lung) which is a kitchen/dining hall that provides free food for visitors.

[@dianeladico1769]

That was lovely and very interesting, thank you!

[@PJWey]

The lasting wisdom of “more happiness in giving than in receiving” ❤ thank you for giving your time to digest and share these results, putting it to the test 😊

[@Edaryion]

Fascinating. It is interesting to learn more about how altruism & benevolence affect our mental health.

[@KunalSingh20]

Awesome research. Dr Greger is the superman of our times.

[@janelmore6677]

Thank you! I have believed in this principle all my life! I love it when you put it to the test!

[@memofromessex]

Obviously, my Glaswegian grand-nan who died 98 was the exception. They say that she only stayed alive so long out spite for everyone around her.

[@OnlineMD]

My mother passed away this year, aged 95. She asked me a few months before she died "Why am I living so long?" I told her that she refuses to let go of this life. Even in Hospice, lying terminal in coma, she clung to life. One day my uncle and I prayed to her soul to let go, let go, and return to The Source and not cling anymore. The next day she peacefully passed away.

[@crisarkgoth]

“Others” for me are animals.

[@DrumAndDrumber]

Nothing wrong with that. :)

[@Edaryion]

#VeganForTheAnimals

[@DrumAndDrumber]

@@Edaryion I actually went vegan for the health reasons. But I'm glad that I also haven't killed any animlas in the last 7 years.

[@KJSvitko]

There are too many insensitive, uncaring bullies in the world. Morals, ethics, compassion and empathy are needed for society to function.

[@IBN-n3q]

Cause there is so much Godlessness.You need God in order to get inner peace

[@Alexander-ok7fm]

Thank you!

[@Elena-er7zp]

My father was generous. Guess that’s why he got 12 years more instead of 10 more after his CABG

[@AndrewPawley11]

I love this channel!

[@nazokashii]

Thank you

[@allencrider]

It's part of being a social animal

[@thomas6502]

Counter intuitive findings are some of the most satisfying puzzles out there. Go team human.

[@ccifuentes]

Then I foresee a happy, long life for you, Dr. Greger :)

[@gula_rata]

Selflessness and altruism as modeled by the Bodhisattva Way is one of the main methods of Buddhism. As well as eating a Plant-based diet and the philosophy of Ahimsa or Non-harm to all beings including animals.

[@4850937]

Moms For Liberty

[@AnHourOfWolves]

Happy to see a new video on a Tuesday! 🔥

[@HealthyLife88-t3y]

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[@archangelarielle262]

There is no true altruism. You can only do anything for 2 reasons: because you want to (want most out of various competing intuitions), or you are forced to. You can do whatever you want, but you cannot choose what you want. It is a fact that you cannot change. You cannot determine your wants. Think of something you want. Try to not want it. Think of something you don't want and try to want it. It is not possible. And even if it were, in order to change a don't want into a want, you'd need to want to want it or say it a billion times a delude yourself which is outside your control. And vice versa. To change want into a don't want, you'd need to want to not want it. You simply can't control what you want. So being forced to do something isn't free will, and wanting to do something isn't free will. You simply can't control what you want. So being forced to do something isn't free will, and wanting to do something isn't free will. But being forced or wanting to do something are the only reasons why you do anything. This necessitates the preclusion of any true form of altruism, as proposes by Sigmund Freud and Thomas Hobbes. For example, if I were to see an animal being harmed by a human in front of me, and were able to rescue them, regardless of if I, myself were harmed in the process (this is a hypothetical, I am not implying that I am heroic), it would still be ultimately selfish. From an external perspective, it looks as if I prioritized the other being over myself, however, even the most seemingly selfless acts are traced back to underlying self-interested motives. For example, “I could not live with myself, if I had let the animal suffer,” submitting the guilt that I would have felt overweighed any other current intuition. Ultimately it was all about the ego. This is substantiated by Peter Singer’s ‘The Drowning Child Scenario,’ in which a child that you could easily rescue is drowning in front of you, however, doing so would ruin your material possessions. Most people would agree saving the child is the morally right thing to do, even at the cost of material possessions. To the contrary, every day in developed nations, we buy needless material experiences and products, such as travelling, extravagant food, clothing, whereas they money could have been used as donations for those that actually cannot survive, and thus, we knowingly allow the helpless to die, and appeal to the ostrich effect.

[@AnHourOfWolves]

Have you looked at the research? I’d be curious to see if your theories are supported by evidence!

[@ultronde4958]

I would like to disagree, even if there is true altruism you would still try to make it selfishness. So you are incapable of detecting true altruism. 1. Let's say that I am truly altruistic and I saved the drowning kid not because "I could not live without doing anything" but because I am truly altruistic, how can you test the difference? You can't and then you conclude that it's ultimately selfishness because you are unable to comprehend the altruism. 2. Another problem is that maybe you (and other with the same argument) are creating an imaginary ideal altruism and then saying there is nothing like that. When a man risks his life to save another human's life we call that altruism, but then these over thinkers come and say that's also selfishness. But then what's the meaning of selfishness? if everything you do are selfish, why do we need a word for that which distinguishes some acts from another?