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"The Helpers High"

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. ~Robert F. Kennedy


The time is always right to do what is right. ~Martin Luther King Jr.


More reason to do good:
ABC News story:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2685717&page=1
Research on the "helpers high"
http://www.actsofkindness.org/inspiration/health/detail.asp?id=1
More on "helpers high"
http://www.smm.org/buzz/buzz_tags/helpers_high
Christian Science Monitor Article:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0725/p13s02-lire.htm
Boston Globe Article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/11/28/for_good_health_it_is_better_to_give_science_suggests?mode=PF
MSN Article:
http://health.msn.com/centers/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100167285&page=1
Take the "Compassion Quiz"
http://www.whygoodthingshappen.com/main.php?section=quiz
Why Good Things Happen to Good People
http://www.whygoodthingshappen.com/home.php
Extra Credit: Read one of the articles above. Write a brief reflection. What did you learn?
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Comments

Katy4 said…
I read the article on "helpers high" and doing random acts of kindness. I thought it was great. I do a lot of voluteering and experience some of the same effects that were discussed in the article. If volunteering 1 hour a week can reduce the number of times you get sick each year, help you to be able to better fight cancer, and lower your stress level and cholesterol, why isn't everyone doing it?
November 4, 2007 at 1:32 PM
Hamilton3 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
February 6, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Hamilton3 said…
I read the articles on http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=2685717&page=2
and
http://www.actsofkindness.org/inspiration/health/detail.asp?id=1

The first article I read about the helper's high, the ABC one, did not seem to be entirely scientific. Their experiment consisted of 4 people, which I do not feel to be a large enough test group to use for this sort of experiment.

However, I read the article about Random Acts of Kindness. This multiple scientific studies and surveys of a large group of people. For example, they measured the amount of an immune system agent present in a person's saliva when they were watching a movie on Mother Teresa and again during the airing of a Nazi film. The test subjects showed a rise of the agent during the movie about Mother Teresa, and no effect when they were watching the Nazi film. They also surveyed a much larger sample of people (3000+) in their study, as well as long term studies.


This insurmountable evidence leads me to conclude that The "Helpers high" is a sound piece of psychological research, because it used random sampling and the use of surveys (longitudinal studying).
February 6, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Hamilton3 said…
I believe that the Christan monitor site on the "helper's high" is a good psychological study. It draws on research from more than 500 studies, all showing similar results of the benefits it provides.

On a personal note, I found it interesting that they said that giving is the most powerful force on earth. I also found it interesting when they said that we have a raised ability for kindness during catastrophic situations.
February 6, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Hamilton3 said…
I also read the article on
http://dev.smm.org/buzz/buzz_tags/helpers_high

In my opinion, this site used study information form the other sites I looked at, distilling them into a more user freindly format. I believe that since this article is a combination of the other articles I have posted on,and those articles were good psychological studies, this study followes the same suit.
February 6, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Palmer2 said…
I read the first article...I learned that if you give something to some one other than one of your family members you can improve your health. It not only makes you happy but it also makes the reciever happy. Knowing that you are happy and a good feeling because of donating makes you better inside and mentally.
March 10, 2008 at 10:37 AM
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