Eve is here. Given that the United States is rapidly descending into authoritarianism following the execution of Alex Preti, and given that many in the country will be battling snow and cold (as long as they stay indoors and the lights are on), it seemed appropriate to interrupt regular programming. The following article describes the personal benefits that can be gained from noble actions such as compassion and patience.
I would like to know what readers think of this research method. Sadly, it also seems worth noting that in our increasingly narcissistic culture, good behavior may need to be sold as personal benefit, much like wearing a fitness tracker to ensure you get 10,000 steps a day.
I also find it questionable that the focus is on the state of mind rather than on what is called “right behavior.” Is it more important to just feel compassion, in the same way that we are moved by sad stories? Or is altruism more important? Is having an attitude of patience “better” than difficult mental wiring that leads to behavior that is mistaken for patience (impatience and persistence combined, ultimately resulting in behavior becoming “fixated”)?
Written by Michael Prinzing, Research Evaluation Scholar, Wake Forest University. Originally published on The Conversation
According to new research my team and I published in the Journal of Personality in December 2025, virtues like compassion, patience, and self-control can be beneficial not only to others, but also to ourselves.
Philosophers from Aristotle to al-Farabi, a 10th-century scholar who lived in what is now Iraq, have argued that virtue is essential to happiness. However, others such as Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche argued the opposite. Virtue brings no benefit to oneself, but only to others. This second theory has influenced much work in modern psychology, which often views morality and selfishness as fundamentally opposed.
Numerous studies have shown that generosity is associated with happiness, and that encouraging people to practice kindness improves their happiness. But other virtues seem less enjoyable.
For example, a compassionate person would want to alleviate suffering and unhappiness, but in order to do that, suffering and unhappiness must exist. Patience becomes possible only when something frustrating or difficult happens. And self-control means restraining one’s desires or persisting in something difficult.
Volunteers transporting homeless people to shelters speak with a person from Ukraine in Berlin on January 7, 2026. Michael Youkas/dpa/Photo Alliance via Getty Images
Are these virtues really good for you?
My colleagues and I investigated this question in two studies, using two different methods to zoom in on specific moments in people’s daily lives. Our goal was to assess how compassionate, patient, and self-controlled they were in that moment. We also assessed their level of well-being, i.e. how much fun or discomfort they felt, and whether they felt their activities were meaningful.
One study with adolescents used an experiential sampling method in which participants answered questions at random intervals throughout the day. The other, an adult researcher, used a one-day reconstruction method in which participants answered questions about the previous day. Overall, we investigated 43,164 moments from 1,218 people.
In situations where people have the opportunity to act with compassion, patience, and self-control (for example, when encountering someone in need or dealing with a difficult person), people tend to experience more unpleasant emotions and experience more unpleasant emotions than in other situations. But we’ve found that practicing these three virtues seems to help people cope. Typically, people who are considerate, patient, and self-disciplined tend to experience better happiness. And when people show more compassion, patience, and self-control than usual, they tend to feel better than usual.
In other words, our results contradict the theory that virtue is good for others and bad for oneself. They were consistent with the theory that virtue promotes happiness.
why is it important
These studies tested the predictions of two venerable and highly influential theories about the relationship between morality and happiness. In doing so, they provided new insights into one of the most fundamental questions debated in philosophy, psychology, and everyday life.
Furthermore, the scientific study of morality has focused much research on how people form moral judgments and how external forces shape people’s moral behavior. However, some researchers argue that this needs to be supplemented by research on moral traits and how they are integrated into the whole human being. By focusing on traits such as patience, compassion, and self-control and their role in people’s daily lives, our research contributes to a new virtue science.
What is not known yet
One open question for future research is whether virtues such as compassion, patience, and self-control are associated with increased well-being only under certain conditions. For example, things may look different depending on your stage of life or region of the world.
Our study was not a randomized experiment. The association we observed may be explained by other factors, which increase feelings of well-being while also increasing compassion, patience, and self-control. Or maybe happiness influences virtue rather than the other way around. Future research may elucidate the causal relationship.
One particularly interesting possibility is that a “virtuous cycle” may exist. Perhaps virtue tends to promote happiness, and happiness in turn tends to promote virtue. If so, learning how to help people start that cycle can be extremely valuable.
