Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Video 1
Opinion Changes in Perception of Altruistic Actions
I agree with Marsh’s (2016) take on why some individuals tend to be more compassionate than others. Before watching this video, I was curious why some wealthy people are keen to participate in charity. In contrast, others look down upon and are often disgusted by the existence of people who need help in society. Here, it is important to note that the individuals in both groups dominate the socioeconomic spectrum. See guide on how to write a discussion post in APA format.
Therefore, the marginal effect of giving to charity on the generous and the selfish is relatively low. Watching Marsh (2016) educates me that some people have a natural proclivity to help others. Another interesting reason some people are more compassionate than others is that people with abundant resources are often forced to look beyond themselves to help others.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Video 2:
Takeaways
I would agree with Dunn’s (2019) take that helping other people makes the helper happier. Before watching this video, I thought that the joy of the beneficiary influences the joy that comes from helping other people. Dunn (2019) attempts to answer Marsh’s (2016) on how some people are more altruistic than others. She points out that the people who give were lucky enough to be in an environment where they were forced to give.
After their act of generosity, they felt significantly rewarded by the meaningful sense of joy. Consequently, they keep doing more and more to get the priceless reward. Therefore, some people give while others do not because the people who give intentionally or unintentionally get a chance to perform an act of generosity.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Effects
I have, over the years, been doing something helpful to other people out of mere altruism and prosocial behavior. This is due to observing my parents going out of their way to help other people, for example, helping people find jobs. My experience confirms Dunn’s (2019) act of compassion makes the helper happier. I am often drawn to help the homeless people in many streets in the United States. I often give them all the pocket change accumulated from my shopping activity. I often think that this is an evolution of the human mind that rewards charity to improve humanity.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior: Friend versus Stranger
If I were to help out my friend, I would consciously or unconsciously expect them to reciprocate the act of kindness. I am often unhappy when my friends do not appreciate my acts of kindness. Therefore, I often do not get as much joy from helping my friend as helping a stranger. While helping a stranger, for example, a homeless person, I do not expect ever to meet them in their life. This, in my opinion, is a pure act of kindness rather than something I do to enhance my social life.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Today
I do not believe that people are less generous today. In the past, most of humanity lived in small communities, which is quite different from life in the big cities. In such a setting, people were more likely to help each other. However, it cannot be described as pure altruism and prosocial behavior because the helper often expects to reciprocate when they need help. When people help strangers in the cities, they make our society more altruistic than it was in the past.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior
I think that altruism can be learned. I also think that people need to be directly exposed to the joy of helping others. This would propel them to commit more acts of altruism, as the individual seeking them the consequential sense of joy.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior: Smaller vs Larger Non-profit/Charity
Small charities expose the helper directly to the beneficiary, which is not present in bigger charities. Therefore small charities elicit more happiness than the larger ones.
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior: Downside to being too Altruistic
I think that there is a downside to being very generous. This is because the beneficiary is less propelled to taking care of themselves, as they would if they were at the bear risk of adversity. I think that letting the people who can “pull themselves by the bootstraps” to it is an act of kindness to society. Therefore, the dose makes the poison; too much altruism is not always good.
