Why Giving Feels So Good

Spirituality & Health Magazine, Jan-Feb, 2006 by Jill Neimark

Byline: Jill Neimark

Why Giving Feels So Good Jill Neimark

Why help a stranger who stumbles in the street? Why send money to faraway victims of tsunamis? Why volunteer for soup kitchens or offer a caring word to a neighbor? For evolutionary scientists, altruism is one of the great mysteries: it feels good, is linked to better mental and physical health, and is intrinsic to who we are, yet no one can quite explain how it evolved. Some have suggested that when we protect our kin we protect our own genetic legacy; that when we give, others give back to us, and that generosity enhances our reputation. Even so, at the heart of altruism is a big question mark. Why does giving feel so good?

Now a new study suggests that altruism may be partly guided by genes that regulate the neurotransmitter dopamine - the one linked to craving, pleasure, and reward. Subsets of dopamine genes vary in the general population, and the study finds that a specific, common subtype is highly linked to altruistic behavior. The research, conducted at Hebrew University and other centers, was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry in 2005. Psychologists and geneticists looked at 354 families with more than one child, measuring the individuals' tendencies to ignore their own needs and serve the needs of others, as well as their tendencies toward attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - a trait associated with antisocial behavior that is also thought to be regulated by variations in dopamine genes. They then analyzed the individuals' dopamine receptors for well-known variations, or genotypes.

Their fascinating findings: the most common genetic subtype - known as the D4.4 - was significantly linked to altruistic behavior, regardless of whether the receiver was a relative. Another variation - D4.7 - is known to be linked to novelty-seeking, aggressive, more anti-social behavior. The researchers conclude that variations in these genes reward a range of behaviors in humans, so that as a species we have novelty-seekers as well as givers. But in general, say the scientists, this gives us the first hard evidence that many of us are indeed "hardwired" for giving. It may be that generosity feels good because it is rewarded by spikes in dopamine. The scientists even speculate that further research could reveal variations in dopamine genes that favor generosity to kin, and others that favor giving to all. Next time you hold the door open for a stranger struggling to balance a bunch of packages, think of those innumerable little dopamine-loving neurons lighting up your brain with bliss.