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I wrote the book - NO ONE Gets There ALONE before this study was released. But it confirmed why I wrote it.

A large-scale research study analyzing tens of thousands of individuals across the United States and Europe set out to answer a simple question: does selfishness actually pay?

Across multiple datasets, including longitudinal studies that followed participants for up to 14 years, the findings were consistent.

Individuals who were more prosocial—those who regularly helped others and contributed to those around them—experienced stronger outcomes over time.

Prosocial behavior (what you do)

The researchers tracked real-world actions such as:

In the longitudinal studies, they simplified this into:

People who consistently gave time and/or money were categorized as more prosocial.

In one U.S. sample of more than 5,000 people, higher prosocial motivation was significantly associated with both higher income and a greater number of children.

In the long-term data, prosocial individuals showed faster income growth and larger increases in family size, and by the end of the 14-year period, they had surpassed their more selfish counterparts on both measures.

Moderately prosocial individuals started with higher incomes.

People who helped others some, but not all the time, often chose careers or behaviors that balanced helping with personal gain. Think driven, collaborative, but still very focused on advancement. Early on, that mix paid off.

The most prosocial individuals showed the strongest income growth over time.

Those who consistently helped others built deeper trust, stronger relationships, and better reputations. That led to more opportunities, promotions, and long-term gains. They may not have started on top, but they kept climbing.

By the end of the study, the most prosocial had the highest incomes overall.

Over time, the compounding effect of relationships and trust won. The people who invested the most in others ended up ahead financially, even if they didn’t start there.

Eriksson, K., Vartanova, I., Strimling, P., & Simpson, B. (2020). Generosity pays: Selfish people have fewer children and earn less money. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 118(3), 532–544.

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