Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis. If we feel empathy towards a person in need, we are likely to help them without any selfish thoughts, otherwise only if rewards outweigh the costs of the help.
Rewards in the sense, it relieves us from the distress of seeing someone in trouble. Therefore, feeling higher empathy may make one feel more distressed and they might be more likely to help because of egoistical motivation to reduce their stress or to look good in the eyes of other. It is also seen people having higher empathy may also suffer from negative moods.
But higher empathy for a disadvantaged group may promote positive outlook to the group collectively. Empathy has also shown to reduce intolerance and prejudice. These studies have shown that humans are also capable of altruism.
Empathy-altruism hypothesis presents an fascinating and complex view of human nature.
TASVEER 