02/17/2024
What happens in our brains when we are kind to others?
HMS professor Gregory Fricchione describes the euphoric feeling as the “helper’s high,” a sensation possibly triggered by a rush of dopamine, pain-reducing endogenous opioids, endorphins, and oxytocin — a mixture he characterizes as “chemical juice.”.
Fricchione sees altruism as a logical extension of fundamental mammalian behaviors — the drive to nurture offspring and attach to caregivers.
“Evolution has provided us with the structures and functions that remind us that we survive better by cooperating as a group,” he adds, “not only when we’re seeking social support, but when we’re giving it.”
