altrusim, the kind that gives without being recipricated, is beneficial to health

[old_cold]

Originally Posted by spiros7

directly qouted from the article:

" But they also found that acts of altruism, with no hope of personal benefit, activate the reward areas of the brain too, and more than that, that some brain regions (in the 'subgenual anterior cingulate cortex') were more active during altruistic generosity, indicating that there is something unique about being altruistic with no hope of gaining something in return."

One may not be hoping consciously for a personal benefit but gets one by feeling better about oneself.
It can be surmised that knowing you'll feel good about doing something supposedly altruistic shows that you DO know there will be a benefit even if you hadn't consciously thought about it.
How many people do you suppose have thought "I'm going to do this nice thing even though it's going to make me feel miserable" ?

[LuminousTruth]

Originally Posted by old_cold

One may not be hoping consciously for a personal benefit but gets one by feeling better about oneself.
It can be surmised that knowing you'll feel good about doing something supposedly altruistic shows that you DO know there will be a benefit even if you hadn't consciously thought about it.
How many people do you suppose have thought "I'm going to do this nice thing even though it's going to make me feel miserable" ?

There might be some, expectations don't often have to match occurrences.
Furthermore, there are many religious and long-term life expectations that might usurp the short-term expectation of "feeling miserable for a bit."

Still, even in the altruistic kindness brain images, the reward area/pathway of the brain does also light up. And the study authors or news authors (I don't remember which ones) did liken "being thanked and hugged" as the often effect of altruistic kindness (one that might even be expected by the participant).

[TRANSPONDER]

So, are we all agreed that the healthy warm glow that comes from giving is no kind of reason to be religious but rather works better in atheism as there is no expectation of heavenly approval in it. Nobody it telling us to be Good on the grounds of Santa not bringing any toys if we are not?

[Arach Angle]

Originally Posted by TRANSPONDER

So, are we all agreed that the healthy warm glow that comes from giving is no kind of reason to be religious but rather works better in atheism as there is no expectation of heavenly approval in it. Nobody it telling us to be Good on the grounds of Santa not bringing any toys if we are not?

lmao, it works better in "my belief statement about god".

where did I hear that before?