The Fear Factor summary

In the previous blink, we established that empathy and the ability to identify fear are strongly linked. This concept has fascinated neuroscientists because fear, and thus empathy, could now be traced back to a particular area of the brain.

Specifically, the amygdala plays an important role in stimulating the fear response. Shaped like an almond, the amygdala is a small part of the brain that detects threats in your surroundings and brings about a fear response. For example, if you come into contact with a snake, or find yourself on the edge of a cliff, your amygdala will tell your body to move away to safety.

In order to learn more about altruism, the author got in touch with kidney donors who had signed up with the nonprofit organization United Network for Organ Sharing.

In 2010, a total of 205 people agreed to anonymously donate one of their organs to a stranger in need.

Simply because altruists are better at recognizing fear, it doesn’t mean they are any less fearful themselves.

The truth is that altruists are just as fearful as regular people.

The amygdala isn’t the only part of the body that can help us learn more about altruism. Also playing a key role is oxytocin, a peptide hormone that’s linked to nurturing behaviors.

Oxytocin encourages the parental instinct in people to care for children. In a study carried out by the author, participants received a small nasal dose of oxytocin. They were then asked to look at a series of pictures of faces.

Out of all the countries around the globe, Myanmar ranks first on the World Giving Index, making its citizens the most generous and empathetic people on earth. But did you know that Myanmar also boasts a literacy rate of over 90 percent? Let’s see if there’s a connection between these two statistics.

If the connection exists, then increasing literacy may be a solution to raising levels of empathy in populations.

Like most good things in life, altruism doesn’t appear out of thin air. The kidney donors that participated in the author’s study a few blinks back didn’t become altruistic overnight; the truth is that they routinely carried out charitable acts, such as donating blood and volunteering.

Thus, it appears altruism is developed through time and practice.