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Radical Kindness

Overview

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Radical Kindness

Hidden Brain

2025/08/04
Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain

2025/08/04
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Why do some people risk their own lives to help another person, or give away their fortunes for the benefit of strangers? This week, we talk with psychologist and neuroscientist Abigail Marsh, who studies the science of altruism. We'll explore what's known...

Highlights

What drives someone to dash across six lanes of traffic at night—or rush into a burning building—to save a stranger? This episode delves into the surprising science behind extraordinary selflessness, guided by psychologist and neuroscientist Abigail Marsh.
15:41
Altruistic kidney donors are better at recognizing fear in faces—and show greater amygdala activation in response to fear images.
19:00
Altruistic kidney donors have 8% larger amygdalas and show more activation to fear images
29:03
Extraordinary altruists usually don't use rational language to explain their actions
44:33
Fear is a key barrier to selfless actions
57:29
Altruism is intrinsically rewarding, and the more one does it, the more one wants to do it
1:00:25
Abigail Marsh recounts rescuing her child on a ski hill

Chapters

What made a stranger sprint across six lanes of traffic to save her life?
00:00
Why do some people give kidneys to strangers—and feel it's simply obvious?
19:00
How do real-life heroes act before they think—and why is that deeply human?
29:03
When do people help most: in crisis or in comfort—and what does global data show?
38:12
What’s the real difference between recklessness and true courage?
47:58
Can you become more altruistic—just by starting small?
1:00:25

Transcript

Shankar Vedantam: This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. In April 2017, a woman hurried to step off a subway train in the Bronx just as the doors were closing. New Yorkers pull off such near escapes every day, but this passenger was not so lucky. The ...