Compassion Definition | What Is Compassion - Greater Good
Jan 2, 2025 · Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to …
Altruism Definition | What Is Altruism - Greater Good
Jan 1, 2025 · Altruism is when we act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves. Though some believe that humans are fundamentally self-interested, recent research suggests otherwise: Studies have found that people’s first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete; that toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of a …
How to Find Your Purpose in Life - Greater Good
Jan 10, 2018 · Do you have a sense of purpose? For decades, psychologists have studied how long-term, meaningful goals develop over the span of our lives. The goals that foster a sense of purpose are ones that can potentially change the lives of other people, like launching an organization, researching disease, or teaching kids to read.
What Makes Technology Good or Bad for Us? - Greater Good
May 2, 2019 · A quick glance at the research on technology-mediated interaction reveals an ambivalent literature. Some studies show that time spent socializing online can decrease loneliness, increase well-being, and help the socially anxious learn how to connect to others. Other studies suggest that time spent socializing online can cause loneliness, decrease well …
How to Use Social Media Wisely and Mindfully - Greater Good
Jan 19, 2018 · So, what can we do to manage the downsides of social media? One idea is to log out of Facebook completely and take that “hard break.” Researcher Morten Tromholt of Denmark found that after taking a one-week break from Facebook, people had higher life satisfaction and positive emotions compared to people who stayed connected. The effect was especially …
Purpose in Life Quiz - Greater Good
What’s your purpose in life? It’s a daunting question. But your answer may say a lot about your well-being. Studies link a sense of purpose to better physical and mental health. But your purpose isn’t just about you. According to researchers, a true purpose is one that is both personally ...
Empathy Definition | What Is Empathy - Greater Good
Jan 14, 2025 · The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. Contemporary researchers often differentiate between two types of empathy: “Affective empathy” refers to the …
Eight Ways You Can Feel More Hopeful—Even in Dark Times
Aug 21, 2024 · Probability. Since we can’t know what the future holds, there is always uncertainty. But, to some extent, believing that a positive outcome has a good probability of coming to pass can make us more hopeful about it.
Diversity Definition | What Is Diversity - Greater Good
Jan 2, 2025 · For the Greater Good Science Center, “diversity” refers to both an obvious fact of human life—namely, that there are many different kinds of people—and the idea that this diversity drives cultural, economic, and social vitality and innovation. Indeed, decades of research suggest that intolerance hurts our well-being—and that individuals thrive when they are able to tolerate …
Why Is Democracy Worth Defending? - Greater Good
Aug 8, 2024 · That trend is global. The Pew Research Center has found support for democracy as an ideal slipping around the world over the past seven years. Those opinions reflect a real-world trend: A new report from the V-Dem Project—which convenes over 4,000 researchers around the world to aggregate their data—finds that authoritarian governments are gaining ground.