Activate gray matter by doing good for others

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 from Paul R. Scheele
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Doing good for others not only makes your heart grow warm, it activates your gray matter too.

The more altruistic you behave, the more gray matter you have in a region of the brain linked to empathy, says a study in the journal Neuron.

When researchers from the University of Zurich set out to determine why some people are selfish and others altruistic, they discovered a strong connection between the volume of gray matter in this region of the brain and one's propensity for giving.

"People who behaved more altruistically had a higher proportion of gray matter at the junction between the parietal and temporal lobes," said Yosuke Morishima, a postdoctoral researcher and team member.

Volunteers in the study were asked to divide money between themselves and an anonymous other person. They had the option of sacrificing a certain portion of the money for the benefit of the other person, and thus at their own expense. Some were almost never willing to sacrifice money to benefit others while others behaved very altruistically.

In selfish people, this small region behind the ears became active when the cost of the altruistic behavior was low, as seen in MRI scans. In altruistic folks, it only became more active when the cost was very high. It becomes active when people reach the limits of their willingness to give, suspected the researchers, because that's when "there is the greatest need to overcome man's natural self-centeredness by activating this brain region."

Lead researcher Ernst Fehr noted that altruism is not determined by biological factors alone. The volume of gray matter is also influenced by social processes, he said, suggesting it may be possible to promote the development of the brain in this way.

It is, believes best-selling author Marci Shimoff, creator of our Happy for No Reason course. And studies show engaging in activities to help others can increase your own happiness and inspire you to greater achievements. She recommends cultivating an attitude of service.

"Every day for the next few weeks, look for some ways to help someone else. It does not have to be a big 'cause.' It could be offering someone a ride, helping someone across the street, or listening to someone who needs attention," she said.

"As you start looking at your life through the eyes of making a contribution, you may be surprised by the number of opportunities to serve that you come across each day," says Marci. "Take advantage of as many as possible, knowing that by making a difference in someone's life you make a difference in your own life, too."

Altruism is the largest resource for self-change according to studies by Masanori Kanda, a best-selling author and executive trainer in Japan.

In fact, it plays a key role in his unique method of goal achievement called "Future Mapping" that is generating incredible results for leading corporations, entrepreneurs, and government officials throughout Japan.

When you simultaneously set a goal for yourself and you commit to helping someone else become happy, your own self-interest—and all the baggage that comes with it—drops away. Suddenly hidden resources within you that are critical to accomplishing your own task begin to surface in ways that are truly surprising.