"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." —Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." —Eleanor Roosevelt

Being altruistic is commonly defined as selfless concern for others. It is often discussed as reciprocal to empathy, which is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another (see my previous post on the topic). Nicole Karlis, in her book Your Brain on Altruism, writes that it may be time to reframe altruism not just as personal restoration but as something communal. I cannot agree more. We know the mind-body benefits of........

© Psychology Today