Another View on Politics as Self-Serving

I suspect many people think of politicians as out to get as much as they can for themselves– power, money, status.

But maybe they’re getting much more than that — good feelings.

Here’s a summary of a new study about people’s brain activity when they decide to donate money to a charitable cause (emphasis mine):

Giving found to activate pleasure centers in brain

Philanthropists, take note: the warm glow that often accompanies giving may have a physiological basis, according to recent research. Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, in Bethesda, Maryland, have identified two separate areas of the brain that are activated when individuals choose to contribute money to a worthy cause. The findings were based on magnetic resonance imaging of subjects who made the decision to give away money to charity. Giving was found to stimulate the mesolimbic area of the brain, stimulating the release of dopamine, which causes pleasurable or euphoric sensations. Also affected was the subgenual region of the brain, associated with the release of the hormone oxytocin, which plays a key role in increasing trust and cooperation in humans.

“Something in our brains shaped by evolution allows us to feel joy when we do good things,” observed Dr. Jorge Moll, the neurologist leading the research. “It is a biological force and we should not ignore it in promoting social welfare.” (Economist, October 12 2006)

You can find the article itself here.

You may remember that I have mentioned oxytocin before in my post on Women in Politics: How Can It Make a Difference?

Oxytocin is perhaps best thought of as a “connecting” hormone. What this study implies is that when we do something positive for someone else, we feel more connected to them and that feeling is nice in itself — think “warm fuzzies”.

And this fits with reports from politicians of both genders that most of their satisfaction in being in politics comes from serving their constituents.

So — what do we do with this information? Here are some ideas:

DO clarify your personal goal in entering politics. Read my article on What Does Your Political Business Make? for more on this.

DO recognize that you will energize yourself by helping others, not just constituents (although sometimes it may seem these are much easier to help than your colleagues .You may want to read my post on Giving: The Secret to Political Success? (See, I don’t just make this stuff up ).

DO take time to enjoy the “rewards of giving”.

DON”T just rush on to the next thing – savour your enjoyment.

DON”T dismiss your good intentions and actions as “not enough”. In this study, even writing a cheque to an organization brought personal rewards.

DO understand that feeling good begets feeling good. How nice to be in a cycle of connecting and pleasure than in a negative cycle of frustration and cynicism, eh?

DO acknowledge your intentions to give, whether or not they are received or implemented as you envisioned.

What other implications and suggestions do you see arising from this study? I’d love to hear from you.