Recent breakthroughs in biology and neuroscience reveal that the human brain is primed for selflessness. But how do biology, upbringing, and outside influences intersect to produce altruistic and heroic behavior? And how can we encourage selflessness in corporations, classrooms, and individuals?
Using dozens of fascinating real-life examples, science journalist Elizabeth Svoboda explains how our genes compel us to do good for others, how going through suffering is linked to altruism, and how acting generously can greatly improve our mental health.
Svoboda argues that it’s a common misconception that heroes are innately destined to be that way. In fact, anyone can be a hero if they’re committed to developing their heroic potential.
If heros seem to be everywhere these days, that's because they are, according to Elizabeth Svoboda. In her 2013 book What Makes A Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness, she examines the sciences behind how and why people act selflessly.
The definition of a hero has expanded from a quasi-mythical figure, she says, to include soldiers, firefighters, and “social heroes” – such as professional football players who speak out about head injuries, and kids who stand up to bullies. This reflects our culture’s assumption that anyone can be a hero, and creates the expectation that we all should act heroically, or at least “pro-socially,” to help those in need.
But there is a fine line between behaving altruistically and acting heroically, and Svoboda spends much of the book examining new research into why we help others and whether humans have evolved an instinct for what’s called “group selection” – meaning that we help others because group survival is better for all of us. As evolutionary biologist Charles Goodnight explains: “You put one person in the middle of the jungle and they’re dinner. Twenty people, you have a village. We can’t survive on our own, but we can collectively.”
Svoboda reports on neuroscience research that has found that donating to a worthy cause activates the same brain regions as our craving for food and sex, suggesting a similarly deep motivation. She also explores how volunteering can boost health and life satisfaction.
The book closes with a practical look at how to cultivate a more altruistic mindset. Altruistic people tend to see themselves as capable of getting things done, and consider themselves part of a larger human family. They also, she says, see life through a redemptive lens, focusing on the good that comes out of the bad. These things make the difference. “Heroes,” Svoboda writes, “are mostly regular people who harness their desire to care for others and make an extraordinary commitment to reach out to them.”
