Psychopaths and Superheroes

The 'Psychopaths and Superheroes' episode of 'The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos' podcast begins with a harrowing story from Abby Marsh, who at 19, had a near-death experience on a highway. A stranger risked his life to save her, sparking her lifelong quest to understand the nature of altruism. Abby, now a professor at Georgetown, explores the psychological and neurological underpinnings of how we process other people's emotions, particularly fear, and the motivations behind altruistic acts. Her research has led her to study psychopaths, who lack the normal response to others' fear, as evidenced by their diminished amygdala activity.

Abby's work took an unexpected turn when she sought to study the opposite of psychopathy: extreme altruism. She found a group of 'anti-psychopaths' in altruistic kidney donors, individuals who voluntarily risk their own health to save the lives of strangers. These donors' amygdalas were larger than average, suggesting a neural basis for their extraordinary compassion. However, Abby discovered that these extreme altruists didn't consider themselves special; instead, they had gradually increased their altruistic actions over time, finding joy and meaning in helping others.

Dr. Laurie Santos also brings in the research of Liz Dunn, who investigates how spending money on others can increase our happiness. Dunn's experiments have shown that people feel better when they spend even small amounts of money on someone else rather than on themselves. This phenomenon holds true across different cultures and socio-economic statuses. Dunn's work, along with Abby's findings, suggests that altruism is not only a path to personal happiness but also a fundamental aspect of human nature, starting from a very young age.