Podcast Summary: "Try This: Anyone can be an Altruist"

Podcast: The 7 (special episode from "Try This" by The Washington Post)
Host: Christina Quinn
Guest: Dr. Abigail Marsh, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Georgetown University
Date: December 24, 2025
Theme: Understanding Altruism—What it is, why people do it, and how anyone can build their own capacity for kindness and giving.

Episode Overview

This episode explores the nature of altruism—why some people perform selfless acts, especially for strangers, and whether ordinary individuals can cultivate a more altruistic mindset and behavior. Host Christina Quinn speaks with Dr. Abigail Marsh, a renowned researcher whose personal experience with a dramatic rescue by a stranger shaped her lifelong inquiry into what makes people help others, sometimes at great personal cost.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. A Life-Changing Encounter and the Genesis of a Research Career

• Dr. Marsh recounts a traumatic car accident at age 19 when a stranger performed a heroic rescue, profoundly affecting her outlook on human kindness.
  • Quote [02:14]:

    "Many, many details of the evening haunt me. But the biggest one is that I think I would have died if it hadn't been for the actions of this stranger who made a split-second decision to try to save my life." — Abigail Marsh

• This event led Marsh to wonder why some “run toward” danger to help others, especially those they've never met.

2. Defining Altruism and Exploring ‘Extreme’ Altruists

• What is altruism?
  • Dr. Marsh explains:

    "Altruism is generally defined in psychology as a behavior that helps somebody, and that was the intention of the behavior." [05:37]

• Marsh’s studies focus on people who habitually perform large selfless acts, such as kidney donors.
  • Quote [06:20]:

    "You're certainly making a known sacrifice of one of your own healthy organs forever to help save a stranger's life. I've worked with hundreds of altruistic kidney donors... just to try to figure out what makes them tick."

3. Brain Science: The Altruism-Psychopathy Spectrum

• Marsh found that altruists often have a larger amygdala (emotion-processing brain region) than average, the opposite of what is seen in psychopaths.
  • Quote [07:30]:

    "They were more reactive than in typical people to the sight of other people in distress... and they were relatively better at recognizing other people's fear as well."

• The implication: High sensitivity to others’ distress is central to true altruism.

4. Personality Traits: Humility and Unselfishness

• All extreme altruists were found to be unusually humble and unselfish, seeing their needs as no more important than anyone else's.
  • Quote [08:46]:

    "Truly altruistic people just don't think that they're special. They see their needs are no more important than anyone else's."

• These individuals often find their decisions to help "intuitive" or "automatic."
  • Quote [08:59]:

    "I can't tell you how many altruists I've talked to over the years who say the decision was sort of automatic... donating seems like the most obvious choice in the world."

5. Building Altruism Like a Muscle—Advice for Everyday Giving

• Dr. Marsh argues anyone can strengthen their "altruism muscle" by starting small and making giving enjoyable:
  • Start with minor, intuitive acts such as picking up trash, donating blood, or giving change to a stranger.
  • Quote [12:33]:

    "Start with something that seems easy for you, that does seem intuitive."

• Make altruism fit your personality and interests (e.g., social environments, volunteering with animals, or beautifying the community).
  • Quote [13:30]:

    "Whatever way that you find help intrinsically makes you feel gratified and reinforced, that's what you should do."

6. Sustaining Giving—The Importance of Joy and Planning

• Reject the “martyr complex”; altruism doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Helping in ways that are joyful and internally rewarding is more sustainable and beneficial for all.
  • Quote [14:56]:

    "Taking joy and helping people and finding it intrinsically enjoyable does not mean that it's less good. I would argue it's more good because there's more joy in the world and you're more likely to keep doing it."

• If you want to make altruism a habit, make specific, actionable plans:
  • Quote [16:32]:

    "If you want to do something that's consistent with your values, the more precisely you can sort of plot out the where, when, why, how, the more likely you are to actually act in a way that you want to act."

7. No Act Too Small — The Power of Micro-Connections

• Even small interactions like putting your phone away, making eye contact, or offering help to strangers strengthen community trust and can ripple outward to larger changes.
  • Quote [17:53]:

    "There are ways to benefit other people that are very small but have ripple effects on the social fabric."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On humility:

  "If you think that you're the most special person around, why would you want to help less special people?... Truly altruistic people do not think of themselves as special." — Abigail Marsh [07:51]

• On habit-building:

  "The trick with altruism is that it is a little bit individualized. Some people are left very cold by the idea of sending money to strangers on the other side of the world... So it's just important to remember that the same kind of helping and generosity isn't going to do it for everybody." — Abigail Marsh [12:54]

• On joy and giving:

  "Finding it joyful to help other people is what it means to be altruistic. That is what altruism is, finding vicarious reward and helping other people." — Abigail Marsh [14:56]

• On micro-interactions:

  "Even just putting your phone away and being fully engaged in the world around you... can make a big difference." — Abigail Marsh [17:53]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:14] Dr. Marsh’s life-changing rescue and its impact
• [05:37] What psychological altruism is
• [07:30] Brain science findings: Amygdala size and sensitivity
• [08:46] Humility as a core altruistic trait
• [12:33] How anyone can start building altruism
• [13:30] Making altruism fun and suited to your personality
• [14:56] The role of joy in effective altruism
• [16:32] Tips for making giving a habit—implementation intentions
• [17:53] Small, everyday acts that strengthen community

Episode Recap

Altruism—whether small or extreme—often feels automatic to those who practice it, rooted not in self-sacrifice, but in humility and a sense of shared humanity. While some people are “extreme altruists,” Dr. Marsh emphasizes that altruism is a skill anyone can develop. Start with simple, enjoyable acts that suit your personality, and make specific plans to turn good intentions into regular behavior. Even micro-interactions—like smiling, making eye contact, and offering minor assistance—contribute to a friendly, trusting community, amplifying the impact of individual kindness.

Closing Message

Anyone can be an altruist—altruism grows with practice, intentionality, and the pursuit of joy in helping others. Make giving sustainable by making it personal and rewarding, and remember: small acts are not small in their long-term impact.

For more practical steps, tune in for the next episode focused on the nuts and bolts of everyday giving.