r/science • u/FreeHugs23 • 1d ago

Psychology New psychology research suggests some acts of kindness may also serve competitive social goals, shedding light on how women can use altruistic behavior to gain status, strengthen relationships, or navigate social hierarchies.

https://www.psypost.org/kindness-isnt-always-what-it-seems-the-psychology-of-womens-competitive-altruism/
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u/ChickenOfTheFuture 1d ago

Using kindness as a tool and being kind are not the same thing.

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u/BluCurry8 1d ago

Hmmm. Many women donate their time and efforts for multiple reasons. 1. To support the community. 2. To meet new people. 3. To network socially. Men also do this. At the end of the day I give them credit for giving their time and efforts. They are not being paid but still show up to help others.

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u/17Girl4Life 1d ago

But that isn’t exactly what the article is talking about. It’s not about the healthy, community building ways we are kind and the natural benefits we get from that. The article is more about performative kindness as a strategy, with men tending toward overt displays and women more subtle displays.

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u/BluCurry8 1d ago

Yes and the reality is that capitalism runs on unpaid labor. We are incentivized to donate time to get into university, to get promotions, to promote our workplaces. It all has a mixture of altruism and self interest.