Generous people: 8 virtues take them far in life

Generous people are often described as the great losers in modern societies. of the West, in which individualism and the search for pleasure for oneself prevail.

This, which is based on a part of the truth, is a distortion of reality, as being generous is also rewarded by a series of physical and psychological benefits.

The advantages of being generous

And it is that, contrary to what we might think, pure selfishness it also leaves certain blind spots through which problems and adversity can attack: instability relationships, the relative lack of support systems and a strong protective community, etc.

Next we will see some benefits that generous people are the first to enjoy.

1. They have better mental health

When the demands of caring for others are not very demanding in terms of time and effort, altruism is correlated with a higher propensity for good mental health. The psychological repercussions of knowing yourself useful to others in need could be behind this.

2. They can feel better with less

Unlike selfish people, who need to obtain material rewards in exchange for their effort to feel good, generous people are able to feel good simply by performing altruistic tasks, which they can do whenever they want because they only depend on them. Having been involved in these tasks, many of them feel physically more energetic, with less pain and stress, and with a better self-image, which affects all areas of your life.

3. Affection helps young people grow better

It has long been known that those caregivers who, in addition to providing children and adolescents With "mandatory" formal care like food, water, and a place to sleep, they are much more likely to surround themselves with offspring who can care for them into old age. This is so because, with the creation of attachment bonds, the ability of young people to care for other people also appears.

4. Create trusted networks easily

The hormone oxytocin, which is related to generous and altruistic behaviors, is also associated with the creation of bridges of mutual trust, which can be very useful to develop ambitious and expensive projects that can only be carried out if several people agree and collaborate over a long period of time weather. This means that generous people will be somewhat more likely to dedicate their efforts to making projects with long-term goals reach their goal.

5. They can become the most visible part of the community

Generous people are capable of selfless giving for long periods whether or not there are prizes or rewards related to extrinsic motivation. This means that they are able to make others perceive them as generous at the same time, rather than sequentially: there are moments in which many people have benefited from the help of this type of profile without giving anything concrete to change.

In this way, it often happens that the members of a community, seeing that everyone considers that there is someone especially generous, the This person's public image reaches a new level, which in many cases is related to a protective role and, therefore, of authority.

6. They are further removed from depression in old age

People over 65 who volunteer to help others are less likely to develop depression, thanks to the social integration that these tasks produce. This is very useful, considering that the selfconcept and self-image may decline in old age if retirement is interpreted as a sign that you are no longer useful to anyone.

7. They can focus more on positive thoughts

Generous people are more likely to help others selflessly, whichHe creates a climate of positivity and a certain optimism. This makes them more exposed to situations in which attention shifts towards optimistic and happy ideas, which is useful to maintain good levels of well-being.

8. Propensity for greater longevity?

Although studies on the longevity of kind people still need to be done, it has been seen that a tendency to focus on positive ideas and behaviors based on affect increases longevity and is associated with a strengthening of the immune system.

Bibliographic references:

• Musick, M. TO. and Wilson, J. (2003). volunteering and depression: the role of psychological and social resources in different age groups. Social Science & Medicine, 56 (2), pp. 259 - 269.

• Post, S. G. (2005). Altruism, Happiness, and Health: It's Good to Be Good. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12 (2), pp. 66 - 77.

• Schwartz, C., Meisenhelder, J. B., Ma, Y., & Reed, G. (2003). Altruistic social interest behaviors are associated with better mental health. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, pp. 778 - 785.

• Zack, P. J., Kurzban, R. and Matzner, W. T. Oxytocin is associated with human trustworthiness. Hormones and Behavior, 48 (5), pp. 522 - 527.