Try This: Anyone can be an altruist
How are altruists different from the rest of us? Host Cristina Quinn talks to neuroscientist and psychologist Abigail Marsh about what it means to be an altruist and how you can build your altruistic muscle.
December 24, 2025
20 min
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December 24, 2025
Try This: Anyone can be an altruist
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Washington Post Episodes Around December 24, 2025
Episode 797 of 918 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
Try This: Anyone can be an altruist
Summary
<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">You can read today’s edition of The 7 newsletter </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/the-seven/?utm_source=podcasts&amp&utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-7;utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">. In the meantime, we’re sharing something else you can listen to now or over the holiday weekend. It’s the first “class” of the recent Try This series on giving. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">What’s really going on inside the brain of an altruist? Why do altruists care so much more for a stranger who needs help? Why are they so willing to give away a kidney?</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">In this episode, host Cristina Quinn explores what it means to be an altruist with Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University. Together, they break down how altruists view their own actions and how others can become more altruistic too.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Marsh offers insight into what scientists know about altruists and shares surprising findings from her own research. She also tells us how you can build the muscle of giving more in simple steps that fit your lifestyle.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Read more about Marsh’s work on altruism </span><a href="https://abigailmarsh.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Also, read Washington Post Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima’s story on </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/11/28/altruism-volunteering-donating-wellbeing/?utm_source=podcasts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">how doing good is good for you</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.</span></p><p><a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&p=s_v&s_dt=yearly&utm_source=apple-podcast&utm_medium=acq-nat&utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">Subscribe to The Washington Post</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> or connect your subscription in </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/washington-post-audio/id6442482183" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.</span></p>