Altruism | Defined
Greater Good Magazine
Format:
Magazine Article
Publication Year:
Submitted
Sources ID:
48326
Collection:
Altruism
Visibility:
Public (group default)
Abstract:
(Show)
Altruism is when we act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves. Though some believe that humans are fundamentally self-interested, recent research suggests otherwise: Studies have found that people’s first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete; that toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of a genuine concern for their welfare; and that even non-human primates display altruism.