The Evolutionary Benefits of Altruism – Dacher Keltner, UC Berkeley

by Mario Vellandi on June 14, 2010

[Video Link for Email/Other Subscribers - 21min]

Dr. Dacher Keltner is of the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, whose recent book “Born to Be Good”, is a profound study of how emotion is the key to living the good life and how the path to happiness goes through human emotions that connect people to one another. As it turns out, humans are not hardwired to lead lives that are “nasty, brutish, and short”. We are in fact born to be good. This session gives a glimpse into sociology and new science around an old mystery of human evolution and psychology: why we have evolved positive emotions like gratitude, amusement, awe, empathy, altruism, kindness, and compassion that promote ethical action and are the fabric of cooperative societies, and by association, sheds light on the power behind brands that connect to the greater good. Special topics include the power of touching, facial expressions, oxytocin, and the vagus nerve.

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