It’s often said that it’s better to give than to receive. You may feel too stressed and busy to help others with their burdens in your daily life. However, altruism (利他主义) is its own reward and can actually help you relieve stress. 【小题1】 Here are some ways that helping others helps you.

【小题2】 More specifically, when people make altruistic personal sacrifices, they end up being repaid by what they have done in the form of favors from others. These individuals earn the reputation as altruistic people and end up receiving favors from others who they may not have even directly helped.

Altruism is good for emotional well-being. For example, one study on patients showed that those who offered other patients peer support actually experienced great benefits, including more pronounced improvement of confidence, self-awareness, self-esteem, depression and daily functioning. 【小题3】

The positive effects of altruism often go beyond just you and that other person, influencing your whole community. 【小题4】 Your family and your friends may see your good example and behave in more altruistic ways as well and thus you can contribute to a more positive community. Helping others in need, especially those who are less fortunate than you, can provide you with a sense of perspective on how fortunate you are to have what you do in life. 【小题5】 As a result, you can improve your level of life satisfaction.