I Enjoy Helping Others

Strictly speaking, altruism requires complete selflessness. It is the act of helping others without expecting to gain anything from it so in good conscience I can't honestly say that I am drawn to helping others from a purely altruistic place. I do expect to gain something from it because experience has taught me that I will gain something from it, every time and without fail. What I gain is increased happiness. It is my experience, also backed up by science, that when you get your mind off of yourself and your problems and instead do something to help someone else, your happiness increases. If you don't believe it there is an easy experiment you can do. When you find yourself feeling sad, unhappy, maybe even depressed, honestly think back on what your mind has been focusing on. Literally go back through your thoughts and you will find that you have been dwelling on you - your situation, your feelings, your worries. A person has every right to think about anything they want to so I'm not suggesting it's wrong to think about, even dwell on yourself. What I'm saying is if your goal is to feel happier then find a way to get your mind on others. Volunteer, visit nursing homes, help your elderly neighbor. You will feel better and you might just inspire others around you to do the same.