Compassion is the emotional recognition of another’s suffering and a desire to alleviate that suffering.
While we all know that compassion is a good thing, science shows us that compassion is good for us, that it actually has a strong health benefit.
Research has shown that practicing compassion may lower inflammation and increase the ability to fight disease. Compassion helps to strengthen the immune system by lowering stress levels and increasing happiness.
Research has shown a correlation between compassion and happiness. Recently, researchers gave money to participants and their finding showed that those who spent money on others had happier feelings that those who spent money on themselves. Research done with children as young as 2 have found the same results.
Compassion may help you live longer. Compassion has been found to lower stress and lower the risk of earlier death. The helping behavior helped to reduce the mortality by buffering the effects of stress.
In studies and surveys, compassionate people were rated as being more attractive and happier.
Stanford University is studying compassion and altruism in regards to psychology and the neurosciences. Science believes in compassion – how about you?
