Make Sure To Help Others
Did you know that a study showed that people are more likely to be generous with strangers when they feel more of a sense of connection? Think about it for a second. Think about the times in your life when you helped someone out even though you didn't know them. How did it make you feel?
We're not just talking about being charitable, either. This is about helping others who are there for us — human-to-human contact with the people in our lives and communities. And it's not just about being friendly and courteous, either. It's about compassion and understanding.
There's a reason that bonds between people are so strong — they're based on connection, empathy, and compassion. And studies show that the more connection you feel with other people, the more connected you are to your own culture, traditions, beliefs, and values.
This is why it's so important to make time to act as a human buffer between us and the internet. We're always connected, but we've got to make sure that our connections with other people take priority over all of the content we see online.
Here are 5 simple tips for making sure you find time to have human connections:
Business InsiderArticle Link: Make Sure To Help Others [ARTICLE START] ============================================================== By Katie Rosman It seems like everyone is connected with everyone else on the internet these days. selfies, tweets, blog posts, and Facebook posts abound. A new study confirms what many people have suspected: When we're connected to so many other people — whether it's through social media or traditional media — we are more likely to be nice to strangers. According to the study, kindness is contagious and can be spread through social networks. In a series of experiments with participants who gave blood and had been randomly emailed details about when they could give again, the researchers found that perceived opportunities to donate were linked with generosity, not just altruism. The authors found that both altruism and principles of reciprocity, which describe the tendency to treat people fairly and fairly give back, can lead to altruistic acts — donating blood or participating in the study. http://www.businessinsider.com/helping-others-makes-you-happy-2016-7?r=UK&IR=T#people-are-more-likely-to-help -strangers-when
"We feel the need to connect with people," UC Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer told The New York Times . "But in today's world there's less random chance, less serendipity. We're more likely to connect with people who are like us."
A desire for connection could be one of the reasons why human beings, who can feel hurt and disappointed in others, feel compelled to respond compassionately when they see a need in another person.
In one of the studies described in the newest issue of American Sociological Review , participants watched short videos of strangers receiving or denying help. One group was told that the experiment examined whether people would help if they knew enough about them. Another group saw a comment that said "The participant has logged off."
The researchers found that when study participants watched the video with the log-off comment, they helped less than when they watched it without the log-off comment.
"We're human beings, and sometimes we feel like we're not," Willer said in a statement. "When you see someone struggling to get by or being taken advantage of, you want to help them. But it is really hard to stop, or turn off, your impulse to want to connect with people."
When you're on social media or watching the news, you might worry that you're only seeing or reading about bad things that are happening in the world. But according to the researchers' findings, being connected can actually lead us to be more empathetic and compassionate.
"It's not just showing compassion toward strangers but also toward your own network," said assistant professor at UC Berkeley Gretchen Chapman, who led the study. "If you feel more connected to people, you feel more compassion."
And while feeling a sense of connection can help us have more empathy, Chapman said that social media can have downsides.
But when it comes to helping strangers, it seems that people respond better when they feel as if they have a connection. So make sure to help others — it will make you happier in the long run.
http://www.livescience.com/52014-help-strangers-empathy-network.
Conclusion:
When we help others, even in the smallest way possible, it can have a significant impact on our own well-being and happiness.
In the age of social media, where we are constantly bombarded by information and new posts, it's easy to feel that we're not connected to anyone anymore. But when we actively put time and effort into helping others or trying to be kinder, compassionate people with our friends and families, it can have a significant impact on our own well-being and happiness.
Tags:
Make Sure To Help Others