The Good Life – Wellbeing and the new science of altruism, selfishness and immorality – Routledge

Are we born selfish or primed to help others?Does stress make people more antisocial?Can we ever be genuinely altruistic?This book explores some of the dilemmas at the heart of being human.Integrating cutting edge studies with in-depth clinical experience, Graham Music synthesizes a wealth of fascinating research into an explanation of altruism, cooperation and generosity and shows how we are primed to turn off the ‘better angels of our nature’ in the face of stress, anxiety and fear. Using fascinating psychological research but rooted in a clinicians understanding of the impact of stress on our moral and pro-social capacities, The Good Life covers topics as diverse as:The role of parenting and family life in shaping how antisocial or pro-social we becomeHow stress, abuse and insecure attachment profoundly undermine empathic and altruistic capacitiesThe relative influence of our genes or environments on becoming big-hearted or coldly psychopathic How our immediate contexts and recent s