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Why the Act of Service Matters

Last week, I had a fantastic opportunity to host John Graham on the EZ Conversations podcast (listen here). John shared his incredible journey of travelling the world and embarking on several adventures. But as he mentioned during the episode, these adventures were shallow, and he found his true calling in other riskier endeavours, such as negotiating peace deals during wars. We discussed how it is human nature to lose sight of the deeper meaning that life can offer us in the pursuit of power and money, which come at the cost of society. John also talks about how much he is having now being active ok TikTok sharing his wisdom with the current generation of youth under the moniker, Bad Ass Grandpa.

As I reflected on the power of service, I realized that through experiences in my life, I agree with John that there is nothing more powerful than giving back. Ironically, when most of us think about service, we believe it is an act of giving to others, but a more profound growth occurs when we support others and the feelings that result from it. As it happens, I came across compelling research that supports the benefits of service. Most research highlights the benefits that the service provider experiences from a mental health perspective, which is why many spiritual traditions also emphasize the importance of charity and service. However, when it comes to service, there is also the bystander effect, where people often diffuse responsibility to others to take action or become overwhelmed by the stimulus. Often, the empathy people experience also gets misplaced, where individuals are. So, in this week's edition of EZ Reflections, I wanted to talk about why the acts of service matter.

Why Do We Help?

At its core, helping behavior—also called prosocial behavior—includes any action intended to benefit another person. The Social Psychology textbook (Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2022) outlines several theories that explain why people help:

1. Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis: Proposed by Batson et al. (1991), this theory suggests that when we feel empathy toward someone, we help them out of genuine concern, not for personal gain.

2. Social Exchange Theory: This model posits that helping is often guided by a cost-benefit analysis—we help when the personal benefits (such as emotional satisfaction, praise, or reduced guilt) outweigh the costs.

3. Negative-State Relief Model (Cialdini et al., 1987): Suggests we help others to relieve our distress when witnessing someone suffer.

4. Evolutionary Perspective: Emphasizes kin selection and reciprocal altruism—we help close relatives to preserve shared genes, and we help others with the expectation of future reciprocation.

While the motives may vary, the outcome remains striking: helping others often makes us feel good.

Helping Others and Our Well-Being

One of the most compelling discussions in Kassin’s Social Psychology is how helping behaviour boosts our well-being. Here’s how:

1. The Helper’s High

According to research by Allan Luks (cited in the text), people who regularly help others report feeling a “helper’s high”—a euphoric feeling followed by a long period of calm. This sensation is attributed to the release of endorphins and other mood-enhancing chemicals. The feeling mirrors what athletes experience during intense physical exertion.

2. Reduced Stress and Depression

The book discusses a study by Schwartz & Sendor (1999), which found that individuals with multiple sclerosis who offered peer support experienced more significant improvements in self-confidence, purpose, and reduced depression compared to those who did not engage in helping roles. Helping appears to shift focus away from one’s difficulties, offering a renewed sense of meaning.

3. Improved Physical Health

Kassin et al. cite research by Brown et al. (2003) showing that older adults who engaged in volunteerism had lower mortality rates over five years compared to those who did not help others, even when controlling for physical health and socio-demographic factors. This indicates that helping may have protective health benefits, likely mediated by reduced stress and increased life satisfaction.

4. Social Belonging and Connection

Helping also strengthens social bonds. Acts of kindness build trust and reciprocity, which are key elements of healthy communities. According to the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960), helping encourages a cycle of mutual aid—what goes around comes around, both emotionally and practically.

The Role of Empathy

Kassin’s textbook emphasizes that empathy is the cornerstone of altruistic behaviour. Daniel Batson’s work (Batson et al., 1981) shows that when individuals take the perspective of someone suffering, they are far more likely to help, even when escape from the situation is easy. In contrast, without empathy, individuals are more likely to act only when personal rewards are evident.

This distinction matters deeply. Helping born out of empathy leads to deeper satisfaction, stronger relationships, and a more enduring sense of purpose.

How to Cultivate a Helping Mindset

The textbook doesn’t just provide theory—it offers practical implications:

• Foster empathy: Perspective-taking exercises and mindful awareness of others' emotional states can enhance empathetic concern.

• Model helping behaviour: Children and adults alike are influenced by observing acts of kindness. When helping is normalized, it spreads.

• Create opportunities: Structured volunteering programs, community initiatives, and workplace giving campaigns all make it easier for people to step up.

• Reframe stress: Helping others, even during our struggles, can be a source of strength rather than a burden. As Viktor Frankl wrote, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” through finding purpose.

References

• Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H. R. (2022). Social Psychology (11th Edition). Cengage Learning.

• Batson, C. D., Duncan, B. D., Ackerman, P., Buckley, T., & Birch, K. (1981). Is empathic emotion a source of altruistic motivation? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40(2), 290–302.

• Cialdini, R. B., Kenrick, D. T., & Baumann, D. J. (1982). Effects of mood on prosocial behavior in children and adults. Developmental Psychology, 18(2), 191–197.

• Schwartz, C. E., & Sendor, R. M. (1999). Helping others helps oneself: Response shift effects in peer support. Social Science & Medicine, 48(11), 1563–1575.

• Brown, S. L., Nesse, R. M., Vinokur, A. D., & Smith, D. M. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science, 14(4), 320–327.

• Gouldner, A. W. (1960). The norm of reciprocity: A preliminary statement. American Sociological Review, 25(2), 161–178.

• Luks, A. (1991). The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others. Fawcett Columbine.
  

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