Thaindian News

London, Sep 9 (IANS) Our good deeds can help us live longer, but for that to happen our acts should be driven by a sense of helping others than doing something for personal satisfaction, a study has found.

The US study followed a random group of 10,317 college students since their graduation in 1957.

In 2004, they were asked about the voluntary work they had done in the past 10 years and how regularly. Four years later, 4.3 percent of the non-volunteers had died as had four percent of volunteers with self-oriented motives, Daily Express reported.

But only 1.6 percent of those, whose motivations were more focused on others, were dead.

According to Andrea Fuhrel-Forbis, co-author of the study published in the journal Health Psychology,it is reasonable for people to volunteer in part because of benefits to the self.

“However, our research implies that, ironically, should these benefits to the self become the main motive for volunteering, they may not see those benefits.”