Purpose is one of the most important predictors of well-being.  It makes us healthier, more resilient, and more engaged. —Dr. Richard Davidson.  Center for Healthy Minds. University of Wisconsin-Madison

One of the age-old questions humans have posed since the beginning of time is: What is the meaning of life?  How one answers that question depends upon their culture, upbringing, life experiences and point of view.  Some people may say that the meaning or purpose of life is to serve God.  Others may say that making as much money as possible or having as much fun as possible describes their life purpose.  Still others may say that it’s more realistic to have several life purposes instead of one. 

Whatever the answer, a single factor seems to drive nearly every human being’s motivation to act, whether that action satisfies a big purpose goal or some very small and mundane wish. People act because they want to feel some level of happiness by relieving some level of discomfort. Nearly everything we do, we do in an attempt to attain happiness and avoid suffering. 

This is what the research studies tells us. However, since you probably were not part of a study, you may be skeptical which I absolutely encourage!  So, ask yourself: Is there anything that I do that does not make me happy or does not relieve suffering in either the long or short term?  For example, you may hate your job.  But doing it allows you to earn a paycheck and avoid the suffering that comes along with unemployment.  Or maybe you know that researching car insurance options will get you a better deal, but skipping all that work and doing some other more fun activity feels much more appealing.  Eating six donuts may not bring you true happiness in the moment because you know you’ll regret it later.  However, you are probably attempting to avoid suffering by relieving an intense craving.     

You may have noticed that all the above examples are rather negative. What people believe will make them happy often does not result in actual long-lasting happiness and greater well-being.  Some classic examples of goals that do not bring lasting happiness once achieved include winning the lottery, achieving a higher social status, or attaining your culture’s view of physical attractiveness.

So, what goals and activities actually make most people healthier, more resilient and more engaged? According to the research done by scientists at various institutions of higher learning, doing activities that align with a purpose greater than ourselves brings the most long-lasting and highest levels of well-being.  In short, any activities you do which causes others to feel your genuine kindness, generosity, patience and compassion will bring you happiness in return.  Values such as these form the bedrock of an altruism-based economy.

Such an economy can only work if most people in that economy highly value and practice altruism for self, family and community in healthy balanced ways that contribute to well-being for all involved.  Therefore, cultivating and growing our innate inclinations towards kindness, compassion and responsible generosity is key for building a world that runs on kindness, compassion and responsible generosity.

In what ways can you cultivate and grow your own innate inclinations towards kindness, compassion and responsible generosity? For some ideas on how to start, please refer to the following websites:

• Center for Healthy Minds. University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Founded by world renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson, the Center for Healthy Minds envisions a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world.  Our mission is to cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind.” https://centerhealthyminds.org/

• The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.  Stanford University. “Founded and directed by Dr. James Doty, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, CCARE is established within the Department of Neurosurgery.  To date, CCARE has collaborated with a number of prominent neuroscientists, behavioral scientist, geneticists and biomedical researchers to closely examine the physiological and psychological correlates of compassion and altruism.” http://ccare.stanford.edu/

• Greater Good Science Center.  University of California, Berkeley.  “The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.”  https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/

• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Chicago, IL. “The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a trusted source for knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL). CASEL supports educators and policy leaders and enhances the experiences and outcomes for all PreK-12 students.” https://casel.org/

• Teachings on kindness, compassion and mindfulness in Buddhism, Christianity, Darwinism, Hinduism, Indigenous Religions, Islam, and Judaism

As you practice cultivating and growing your own innate tendencies towards kindness, compassion and responsible generosity, keep in mind that these altruistic behaviors (like many other behaviors) are contagious. Start small and start with you. The effects will ripple out and inspire others to value and practice altruism, and you will become part of a growing global movement that has the potential to change the world.