3 Major Reasons Giving Brings You Happiness

What does someone else’s poverty have to do with your happiness? According to both mystics and scientists, a lot more than you’d expect.

Globally, there are 7 billion people breathing on this planet, 2.7 billion of whom live on less than $2 a day. Improving their living conditions could be the surest path to your greater happiness.

Needless to say, $2 doesn’t even pay for two fast-food meals—let alone utilities, rent, or caring for one’s family.

While most would agree that giving feels good, few know that looking the other way might not be in your best interest. In fact, ignoring another person’s suffering could actually block your happiness, because giving—it turns out—is the fastest path to joy.

Here’s why.

1. Hormonal and Emotional Boost

The ancient Greek philosopher of realism, Aristotle, insisted that the goal of life was to achieve eudaemonia, a pleasurable state in which individuals feel happy from performing their moral duties—which includes helping others.

Essentially, spiritual leaders, gurus and philanthropists have always claimed that generosity leads to real happiness.

Modern scientists agree with all the above.

So not only is the human brain designed to feel sympathy for others’ sorrow—it also enables us to feel their physical pain. This is now a proven fact thanks to scans showing that the same parts of the brain are stimulated whether we feel our own physical pain or watch another person suffer from physical distress.

Additionally, a 2010 study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin illustrates how Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley, and his team found that watching another person’s suffering triggered strong reactions of compassion, and activated several parts of the brain—a reaction found in mammals feeling compassion when caring for their offspring.

So not only are we hardwired to be kind and generous, but when we help others and engage in random acts of kindness, our brain secretes endorphins, the feel-good hormones that can both give you a runner’s high and reduce pain.

2. Compassion Gives You the Highest Intelligence

Dr. Pillai is a scholar and Tamil Siddha master whose life has been dedicated solely to ending human suffering with hundreds of free YouTube videos and programs to end poverty and create better lives for all.

According to countless testimonials, his educational programs are life-changing events. Participants and viewers alike report feeling calmer, happier and smarter. While results vary, many have said they achieved financial prosperity, bought multimillion-dollar homes and built successful careers.

Dr. Pillai’s Tripura Foundation is a non-profit organization with the goal of eradicating extreme poverty in the world.

In 2015, Tripura Foundation received accreditation as as a consulting non-governmental organization to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

“Compassion,” said Dr. Pillai, “gives you the highest intelligence possible.” This is one of his core teachings.

For years, he has been sponsoring neuroscience research with the help of brain experts and, recently, Harvard neuroscientists.

His intent has been to show that certain sounds can activate areas of the brain connected with higher intelligence, better decision making, positive action, financial stability, and even wealth.

Dr. Pillai has created a special program, Phonemic Intelligence, to help children and adults achieve the above benefits by using powerful units of sounds (or phonemes) to change key areas of the brain.

Scientific findings now support the traditional yogic belief that phonemes can leave notable signatures in the brain.

Dr. Pillai also says that only a life of compassion for all living beings and dedication to helping others can bring us true happiness.

3. Scientific Evidence: Giving Makes You Happier and Healthier

In another experiment on two groups (Dunn, Aknin, & Norton, 2008), college students received between $5 and $20. The students in the first group were instructed to spend the money both on themselves and a charitable cause.

The students in the second group were told to spend money only on themselves.

That evening, those who had spent the money on someone else reported feeling happier than those assigned to just spending money on themselves. Remarkably, the amount of money they received had no bearing on their happiness, the researchers said.

This study also shows that people from poorer countries feel just as emotionally uplifted after spending on social causes.

So there’s definitely a correlation between charitable giving and happiness regardless of our ethnic and financial backgrounds.

These findings are very much in tune with some traditional yogic teachings—we are all connected and we can never be really happy unless we help each other.

Did you know that giving can also improve your health?

Baris K. Yörük, an associate professor of economics at the University at Albany-SUNY, published research showing that people who received more tax deductions for giving to charity, were both healthier and perceived themselves as being healthy.

According to the researcher, perception of health is a good indicator of future health conditions.

Also as the amount of the donation increases, health status improves accordingly!

Another study by Harbaugh, Mayr, and Burghart (2007) on participants who had decided to share $100 with a local food bank noticed that the decision activated brain centers associated with pleasure and reward.

Considering all the findings and the many emotional, spiritual and physical benefits of charity, we might soon place giving among our top priorities.

Unless, of course, it’s your number-one priority, which means you’re already one of the happiest people on earth!