Help others to help yourself

Holding the door, offering a ride, giving directions, and giving your seat to someone more in need are acts we can all do in daily life. Such behaviors are commonly known as altruism. Dictionary.com defines altruism as “the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others” and Merriam-Webster dictionary as “feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people and a lack of selfishness.” Both these definitions stress unselfishness and helping others. The help people receive from altruists is tangible and prominent, but the benefits these Samaritans receive are often overlooked and under-discussed. In this piece, I will share the benefits this unselfish help extended to others can bring to the doer. To begin with, reaching out to others without expecting anything in return has positive effect on our bodies. Studies have shown that the part of the brain responsible for feelings of reward is triggered when people donate, and the brain releases feel-good chemicals, often referred to as ‘helper’s high’; the famous Salman Khan movie ‘kick’ revolves around this. The most common understanding of altruism is volunteering, and various studies have shown that volunteers enjoy incredible health benefits and increased well-being. Altruists also receive the benefits of ‘The Happiness Effect’—feeling good for the action immediately and developing a more positive self-image and self-confidence in the long run. Happy and smiling people are also seen as more approachable, and thus they are likely to develop more social relations. In this era of networking and knowing people, they are also naturally likely to benefit from these social connections.

Apart from the feel-good factors of altruism, there are many other benefits. Many universities give academic credits for volunteer service; some even make it mandatory, realizing its profound positive impact on the participants. As a teacher, my experience of engaging students in community service activities has shown tremendous positive changes in them: volunteering fostered positive self-esteem, added to their willingness to accept and support others, forged stronger friendships, developed optimistic attitudes, nourished humility, and an increased sense of appreciation and gratitude in most of the participants. Many academic institutions recognize these values in volunteers and prioritize applicants with volunteering experiences.

Working with people outside friends and family also allows one to know the self better. More often than not, we live up to the images of the self as constructed by people around us. People change with time, but we still stick to a particular construct of self while living in the same surroundings. So, finding one’s true self, the present self is necessary, and volunteering can help in this quest. Mahatma Gandhi suggested, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.” Volunteering is also an opportunity for career choice and advancement. Getting different kinds of volunteer experiences helps explore career opportunities. Many of us do not know what career options are available and where we want to build our careers, and volunteering might facilitate developing clarity. Volunteer service or internship at an organization of choice is an intelligent way of making a way through as it gives the volunteers an opportunity to know the organization well and see if it is what they are looking for. At the same time, it provides a platform to bring the knowledge, attitude, and skills required in the organization, turning the volunteers into good employees. Volunteering also provides opportunities to learn job-related skills transferable to other agencies. Most organizations are open to volunteers because they get free help and additions to the resource pool for future recruitments.  While volunteering has many perceived benefits, it is also important not to be too ambitious with volunteering commitments. It is crucial to reach out to others without feeling burdened. Volunteering opportunities are everywhere around us. They say charity begins at home: we can start by helping our family members with things outside our regular commitments; this has similar physical and mental benefits to volunteering elsewhere. Many social organizations offer volunteering opportunities, like the Rotary, Rotaract and Interact Clubs, Lions and Leo Clubs, the Red Cross Societies, Reiyukai Clubs, and member organizations of the JCI are some organizations working locally, nationally, and internationally. These can provide avenues for community service, professional development, and network building. To reiterate my point, altruism impacts everyone significantly: helping others brings joy not just to the person receiving help but also to the one extending it and the larger community. I urge all the readers to reach out to people in need in their respective capacities. Help is neither measured in monetary value nor time commitment; it has the same positive effects regardless of the type of help extended. Most importantly, by helping people around us even in minor ways, we all will be living in a much better world. The author is a faculty of Social Work at Thames International College, Kathmandu. He can be contacted at [email protected]