Previous research already suggests that being prosocial (or altruistic) rather than selfish has positive consequences for psychological well-being, physical health, and interpersonal relationships.
But if we talk at a purely economic level, then, according to this 2020 study published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, a prosocial person is more likely to make more money (and also have more children).
Money and children
The team of researchers, led by Kimmo Eriksson, from Stockholm University, compared factors such as annual income and the number of biological children. A large sample of responses from 5,294 Americans to the General Social Survey (GSS) of public opinion between 2002 and 2014, as well as European responses to the European Social Survey (ESS), were analyzed.
The researchers identified the most selfish people by their responses to several survey questions. Overall, although the researchers found that, in public perception, 68 percent of people believed that selfishness was a common trait of those who made the most money, in reality, people with selfless attitudes and behaviors they had higher incomes and also more children.
Human behavior can be motivated by both altruism and moral considerations. However, altruistic behavior may be the default option in our brains, as also suggested A study of 2017 carried out by a team led by Leonardo Christov-Moore, from UCLA. In it, an area of the prefrontal cortex was found that may be specifically affected so that people are less generous.
What we cannot easily know, however, is whether altruistic people earn more money because they are altruistic or, by earning more money, they become more altruistic. In any case, this Christmas Eve, perhaps we should try to corner Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge a little.
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The news
The most selfish people are not the ones who make the most money, they are the most prosocial people
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.