It turns out that there is a powerful biological basis for helping out. Researchers have identified a part of the brain associated with voluntary altruism, which suggests most of us are hard-wired to do good. Altruistic behavior is also found throughout the animal kingdom, from birds taking care of unrelated nestlings to bees tending to their queens. But humans take it to a different level.
One hypothesis is that we humans enjoy a positive zap from observing the pleasure of even people we do not know and probably will never meet. This could be the big reason why Mr. Beast, who gives out thousands of dollars a week in his YouTube show, is always among the platform’s most popular presenters worldwide and is at present number one, with nearly half a billion subscribers.
Yet, with everything having to do with the mind, there is a still deeper level to explore. A portion of the brain known as the temporoparietal junction is associated with the ability to understand the perspectives of others and is implicated in altruism. Individuals whose temporoparietal junctions have gray matter deficits may be less likely to provide aid. By contrast, a nice, fat TPJ, as the region is known for short, the greater the chance that its owner gives to others.
The joy of helping extends to individual charity, as well as hands-on efforts, as with assisting local food pantries or donations to famine relief on the other side of the planet — or chipping in to cover rent for immigrants in Minnesota unable to work because of ongoing raids. Luckily, protecting important public values — even to the advantage of those we do not know, as in America’s struggle for liberty and democracy — is part of our nature.