Findings suggest that highly altruistic individuals believe that others deserve help regardless of their potential moral shortcomings

Beliefs about Humanity, not Higher Power, Predict Extraordinary Altruism. P. Amormino et al. Journal of Research in Personality, October 31 2022, 104313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104313

Abstract: Using a rare sample of altruistic kidney donors (n = 56, each of whom had donated a kidney to a stranger) and demographically similar controls (n = 75), we investigated how beliefs about human nature correspond to extraordinary altruism. Extraordinary altruists were less likely than controls to believe that humans can be truly evil. Results persisted after controlling for trait empathy and religiosity. Belief in pure good was not associated with extraordinary altruism. We found no differences in the religiosity and spirituality of extraordinary altruists compared to controls. Findings suggest that highly altruistic individuals believe that others deserve help regardless of their potential moral shortcomings. Results provide preliminary evidence that lower levels of cynicism motivate costly, non-normative altruistic for strangers.