(To read Parts – 1 of 3; 2 of 3)

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Doing Good’ – a one-time thing?

Is doing good an one-time activity or infrequently done act whose benefits last a long time? Dr. Waguih William Ishak, a professor of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai reflects17 on this -“Biochemically, you can’t live on the 3-to-4-minute oxytocin boost that comes from a single act.” The trick you need to know: Acts of kindness have to be repeated.

On a daily basis, the opportunities to do good, practice kindness, or engage in any other prosocial behaviors are plenty – whether it be holding the door for somebody, sharing something with someone, helping a neighbor, or even more engaged volunteer efforts. With introspection and discipline, this can become a regular practice.

As this quote from Dalai Lama puts it – “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”


Why Authenticity Matters in ‘Doing Good’?

How is an act of kindness perceived? Are all prosocial actions altruistic?

It is not hard to see everyday examples of ‘altruism with a benefit’ and place them in one of these buckets for yourself. Think of a politician volunteering once at soup kitchen, someone volunteering at their employer-supported civic activity, someone volunteering at their children’s school, someone donating blood, or someone making an anonymous donation for a cause. Clearly these situations may all be viewed differently by a third-party observer.


Conclusion

Writing an article around this subject of Doing Good and its impact feels like swimming in a vast ocean of data and research, while running into buoys of our intuitive self. Intuitive, because by and large, humans tend to do good in context. It is part of our historical cultural norms and our DNA. Thus, we believe and act based on an understanding of what it means to be human. Nevertheless, data and research findings help identify a lot of nuances and nuggets of understanding.

Loneliness, social isolation, and stress have shown to be a global problems affecting the well-being of humans. Doing good and other prosocial behaviors have been proven to affect our physiology and emotional core positively. Furthermore, research findings provide insights into the infectious nature of witnessing altruistic acts and how it makes us want to be a better person – by infusing us with feelings of gratitude and elevated levels of the good hormones (oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin).

For us, the biggest insights are around how deeply connected mind and body experiences are, the infectious nature and inspirational offshoots of positive practices, and why authenticity is key for an agent of altruism.  

A concluding thought: Doing good does not take much to activate and practice consistently. As the Dalai Lama says, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”


To read Part – 1 of 3; 2 of 3

Sources and Citations

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