Christakis and James Fowler, associate professor at University of California-San Diego in the Department of Political Science, are coauthors of the recent book Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives. They have shown that cooperative behavior is contagious, and that it spreads downstream from a single individual in a cascade of influence that involves dozens more individuals, reaching at least “three degrees of separation.” Their research shows that the initiating influence can involve a variety of behaviors, emotions and ideas, including kindness, happiness, and generosity.

Seen from this perspective, it isn’t the electronic gizmos and doodads that have caused an obsession with networking in our kids; rather, the gadgets may simply make it possible for them to live out their underlying genetic predispositions for cooperation and empathy.

The ultimate incentive for kids’ interconnected, empathic way of relating to one another may be that it, well, feels good.

Very interesting to consider–helping others is selfish.

Steve Culbertson, president of Youth Service America, a volunteer resource center in Washington, D.C., said, “It gets under your skin. The real big secret to service to others is the majority of the benefits accrue to you. It just becomes who you are. It’s not something you pick or choose; it’s just part of your nature and makeup.”

It may be no accident that the most plugged-in generation in history is also the most volunteer-prone. The empathic urge may underlie both areas of behavior. In fact, electronic connectivity and volunteerism have proved to be inseparable.

Tapping into the internet allows us to recognize being part of the same whole and take actions which aid ourselves and others…?

Isha has been highlighted in Huffington Post Impact section (what a great surprise!):

For today’s Volunteer Spotlight (and since Earth Day is just a week away), we want to recognize the incredible achievement of the Isha Foundation, who organized over 400,000 volunteers to plant two million trees on a mountain in India in just 25 days. This group of volunteers also set the record for most tree seeds (850,000) planted in a single day (a record they plan to continually break in the years ahead).

Sadhguru seemed surprised when I asked him about how to encourage people to volunteer their time. He replied that people should be even more selfish than they already are; after all, taking care of our environment and others helps improve our own lives.

“We’re not saving the planet,” he told me. “We’re saving ourselves.”

Sadhguru does not believe that this volunteer effort should be the work of a select group of activists.

“It’s everybody’s work. All of us breathe, all of us eat, all of us walk on this planet. This is not somebody’s work, it’s everybody’s work. Unless we get it into people’s minds that this is everybody’s work, you will not accomplish much on this planet.”

In addition to the wildly successful environmental initiative, known as Project GreenHands, Isha’s Action for Rural Rejuvenation works to address economic, agricultural and social mobility problems in rural India.

Volunteering for this program that touched so many people was such a fulfilling experience that I cannot do it justice in words. My birthday was on the 19th, the first day of the program, and I can say without a doubt that it was the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten to be able to spend it in Sadhguru’s presence. I simply feel re-born, fresh as on that day I first arrived here. When I told my sister I’d be volunteering on my birthday, she said I should also try to do something for myself. But I replied honestly that this was for myself. In the deepest possible way, this was unquestionably the best thing I could’ve done for myself. Rather than pamper myself in some transient way, serving others on the same day that my existence began gave me an invaluable perspective as to the nature of my life and purpose.

One other volunteer also shared the birthday with me and shared those sentiments. He happened to be blind, and asked a question about teacher training. Sadhguru replied that it would quite wonderful if he could become a teacher and help show people how to see.

“The question is not about the volume of what you do; the willingness with which you breathe, and walk and live, that makes you a volunteer.”

And in a recent article, Learning to be a volunteer:

It means to give openly without expecting anything in return. Once we do this, we’ll acquire a different kind of strength. And this strength will give us mukti, says Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.