What Makes Humans So Generous?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — For many, the best part of Christmas is the reaction when someone receives a gift, and that got CBS13's Tony Lopez wondering what makes humans so generous.

Researchers have the science to back up a theory of why humans are so generous. The Wall Street Journal reports there's an actual physical change in our bodies when we give.

Researcher Elizabeth Svoboda analyzed the blood flow in the brain while studying the giving spirit.

"In some sense, giving to others in this way gives us a little bit of a rush," she said. "Iit might feel a little bit like as if you were given a gift yourself, or winning a big prize. There really is something in it for you."

She goes on to say there's an area of the brain associated with a rewarding experience that shows an increase in activity when people gave to someone or a worthy cause.

In short, researchers say we are hard-wired to be generous.

Research also shows our brains react to giving, even if we don't see the reaction of our generosity.

Giving to others also gives someone who belongs to a family the feeling of having a greater importance in a societal structure and a sense of survival. In other words, it "maximizes the survival odds of each member of a society."

But simply put, science or no science, giving makes most people feel amazing.