Human beings are in some ways like bees. We evolved to live in intensely social groups, and we don’t do as well when freed from hives.
--Jonathan Haidt, Psychologist at the University of Virginia
In an illuminating article on Haidt's blockbuster, The Happiness Hypothesis, Nicholas Kristof explains why a 67 year old black woman in Boston,on dialysis, but with a lot of social life, her husband, kids, grandkids and church, is a lot happier than a wealthy, white, 36 year-old stock trader who's gone through a lot of women and has millions in the bank.
Altruism is good for you and is the most selfish thing you can do.
What an intriguing notion for the self-absorbed, and how liberating.