Does doing something for others make you happier?
· Source: Dunn, Aknin & Norton, Science, 2008
We tend to think a treat for ourselves will cheer us up the most. In 2008, psychologists gave people an envelope with five or twenty dollars. They had to spend it by five in the evening. Some were told to spend it on themselves. Others had to spend it on someone else, or give it away. That evening, the people who spent it on others felt happier. Five dollars or twenty, the amount made no real difference. When other students were asked to predict the result, most guessed the opposite. So tomorrow, pick one small thing to do for one person. A coffee, a lift, a kind message. Then notice how your evening feels.