Psychopathy versus altruism: the neuroscience of caring about others (w/ Abigail Marsh)
from How to Be a Better Human
by TED
Published: Mon May 12 2025
Show Notes
Why is American culture so fascinated with psychopathic people and true crime stories? Why don’t billionaires give more? What makes some people so generous that they’d undergo surgery to donate an organ to a complete stranger? These are the kinds of questions that Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University, studies. Chris and Abigail discuss the brain differences between extreme altruists and psychopathic individuals, why psychopathic traits do not necessarily correlate with aggression, how parents can support children with behavioral issues, and what we can all do to train ourselves to be more altruistic.
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Host: Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | chrisduffycomedy.com)
Guest: Abigail Marsh PhD (LinkedIn: @abigail-marsh)
Links
Bookshop.org: The Fear Factor
TED Talk: Why some people are more altruistic than others
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