The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Psychopaths and Superheroes

Apr 27, 2020

In this discussion, Abigail Marsh, a Georgetown psychology professor and expert on altruism, reveals the inspiring world of super altruists—those who risk their own well-being to help others. She shares her personal story of being saved by a stranger, sparking her passion for exploring the brain's role in compassion. The conversation dives into how selfless actions can lead to greater happiness and how understanding altruism can transform our lives. Listeners are encouraged to embrace generosity for a more fulfilling existence.

29:36

Creator website

Episode guests

Abigail Marsh

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Motivation Behind Altruistic Kidney Donation

01:02

Understanding the Spectrum of Psychopathy

01:04

Intro

4min

The Intricacies of Altruism and Empathy

6min

The Paradox of Compassion: Unpacking Altruism and Happiness

4min

The Altruism of Kidney Donors: An Exploration of Selflessness and Brain Structure

6min

The Journey of Generosity

7min

The Joy of Giving

5min

The Joy of Generosity: Transforming Selfishness into Altruism

6min

We talk a lot about psychopaths - but rarely discuss their polar opposites, super altruists. These are people who go to extreme lengths to help others - even though their acts of kindness might cost them time, money or expose them to physical danger. These folk are also happier than the rest of us.

A super altruist once saved the life of psychology professor Abigail Marsh - so she devoted her career to understanding what drives these amazing and happy people and how we call all learn to be more like them.

For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm

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