Recent studies in psychology suggest that the pursuit of self-interest may not be the

clearest path to the greater good or personal happiness, as so widely assumed. When

researchers study what makes us happy, they find that it is not personal wealth, the

strength of the stock market, inflation, or interest rates that cause the ebb and flow in our

personal well-being. What makes us happy, what matters in the end, is the quality of our

romantic and family bonds, our connection to our friends, and doing things for others.

[source: www.altruists.org/static/files/The%20Evolution%20of%20Compassion%20%28Dacher%20Keltner%29.pdf]