Jonathan Berman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and his colleague Deborah Small discovered that the only way people feel satisfied is through "selfish behavior."
The psychologists recruited 216 graduates for an experiment. Each volunteer received $3. Some were instructed to donate their money to UNICEF, others were told to keep it for themselves, while the remainder were given the choice to either donate or keep the money.
Results showed that those told they could keep the money were happier than those who donated or had the choice.
Berman noted this demonstrates that in most situations, people prefer actions that benefit themselves.
Of course, this starkly contradicts the selfless values mainstream society consistently teaches. Consequently, engaging in selfish acts often triggers moral guilt, as it violates the principles instilled in us from childhood.