Importance of volunteering at events?

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Volunteering at events offers numerous benefits that can enhance personal happiness, increase empathy and compassion, and assist in building a professional network.

  1. Increased Happiness: discusses a study on prosocial spending, which found that giving, either in the form of money or effort, significantly boosts happiness levels. This effect is even stronger when the person receiving truly needs the help. Volunteering, by providing your time and effort, operates under the same principle, enhancing your own well-being as you assist others 1.

  2. Boosted Empathy and Compassion: Discussing the societal need for greater empathy, talks about how overcoming personal challenges can inhibit empathy and how introducing incentives to help others in inconvenient situations can help increase compassion. This aligns with volunteering, where you often find yourself supporting others who are facing challenges, thus fostering your own empathetic abilities 2.

  3. Professional Networking: As Tim Ferriss highlights, volunteering at events can be a strategic way to build your professional network. By proactively taking on responsibilities and resolving issues during events, you can get noticed by industry leaders and possibly pave the way for future opportunities. This approach allows for meaningful connections that can benefit your career long-term 3.

    Giving for Happiness

    Andrew discusses a study that found that giving money to others, or prosocial spending, is strongly associated with increased happiness. The study found that the act of giving itself led to greater increases in happiness than receiving a bonus, and the degree of increase in happiness is proportional to the extent to which the person receiving actually needed that help and registers that help.

    Huberman Lab

    Science-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness | Huberman Lab Podcast #98
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Overall, volunteering at events not only contributes to personal growth and happiness but also offers practical benefits like expanding your social and professional networks.

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