4. Empathy, altruism, and generosity
Pro-social behaviors are very important for determining well-being and the quality of social relationships that we have. In fact, when subjects are forced to live in social isolation, the same areas of the brain that react to physical pain are activated. The behaviors that most created social links between people is altruism and pro-social behavior. Altruism doesn’t only affect happiness and well-being, but actually leads to longer, healthier lives across culture, age, and sex.[4][5]
A study discovered that individuals who acted generously were happier after the study compared to individuals who acted selfishly. And the increase in happiness is not influenced by how generous you are; just a little more generosity can be a source of happiness.
What can I do? Training compassion (like is trained in some western medicine) have affects on the brain circuits implied in happiness and positive thinking.
