Interesting piece. I have to quibble though with the assertion that we are “inherently selfish by virtue of our survival instinct”. This might be true for a solitary predator, let’s say a Wolverine, very doubtful that it is true for the profoundly social human animal.

Evolution and selection have driven us in a very different direction, one that has made selflessness, altruism and generosity psychic drives almost as strong from the biological sense as is the Wolverine’s nasty and vicious self interest. And of course, even Wolverines are sweet an loving to their kids;)

The Oxytocin mentioned by Dr. Seager is a key player in our warm and fuzzy concern for the welfare of others. Right now my buddy Bo is curled up next to me on the love seat (appropriately named, given how we share it). Scientific studies have shown that when I look into his soulful brown eyes I get the same comforting dose of oxy as he gets looking into my somewhat reddened blue ones. When I toss his bumper at the park and he charges joyfully out to try to catch it on the bounce, he is probably getting that hit of dopa, I’m definitely still in oxy territory.

We tear up (at least I do) when the sappy Christmas stories of soldiers returning to surprise their families run on the news, we charge out in platoons of volunteers to find the lost child of a stranger, dive into icy waters, sometimes dying in the effort, to save the drowning family we have never met. Caring for each other, taking care of each other, doing the love comes very naturally, is programmed for as strongly as any other behavior in our DNA. It’s a motivating force as strong as hunger or sex, there for us to tap in to if we chose.