The Science of Altruism

The other day I saw this video on X:

It made me curious. We all know helping others is the right thing to do. One of my favorite quotes I had to learn as a freshman at the US Air Force Academy was:

I take it as meaning you should help others with no expectation of a benefit for yourself.

You should help others out of a sense of generosity.

Well, actually…

It turns out there are benefits for helping others. Volunteering to assist other people for just 2-4 hours a week can reduce the rate of cognitive decline normally associated with aging by 15-20%.

Volunteering builds resilience and cognitive reserve in your brain through planning, problem-solving and communicating with others.

Too many seniors seem to become self-conscious about their looks or their ailments and become isolated. Yet that seems to accelerate the decline. Especially when things happen like Covid lockdowns.

Interacting with others in a social environment has been shown to reduce your cognitive decline risk by up to 38%. Volunteering is a great way to socially interact.

They’ve even found that volunteering reduces stress and inflammation in your body. Inflammation and stress are very big contributing factors to cognitive decline later in life. With volunteering you normally don’t have big pressure deadlines and commitments. People generally don’t expect a ton from volunteers. They’re just happy that you want to help without an agenda.

Volunteering, especially in the elderly, gives them a sense of purpose. Even having that feeling like you matter again and have a goal can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

And don’t forget that most volunteering requires some sort of physical activity that many seniors do not perform on a regular basis.

You guessed it. Physical activity and exercise reduces the risk of cognitive decline.

In case you haven’t noticed, I am trying to debunk the idea that volunteering and trying to help someone else out is not without benefits. If it’s so good to be altruistic, surely the person offering their services should receive SOMETHING in return.

So the next time you’re feeling kind of selfish, start thinking about that memory of yours. Since volunteering reduces your risk of contracting some form of cognitive decline, then being selfish would increase your risk.

I’ve always felt there are health benefits in doing the right thing in any situation. The stress alone you feel for not doing the right thing can wear down your body.

Consider being a volunteer. Or encouraging elderly relatives to find a cause they believe in.

Or and if you live in the Surprise or Goodyear parts of Arizona, I know some assisted living homes that would love to have you as a volunteer!