Humbugs Vs. Ho Ho Ho's - Queendom.com Releases Results Of Their Egoists Vs. Altruists Research

Online, December 26, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Montreal, Canada - December 23, 2011 Queendom.com, a pioneer in online personality, career, and IQ assessments, is releasing results of their research on giving. Their findings indicate that while most people are generally altruistic in nature, the philosophical battle of whether 'tis better to give or to receive still rages on.

Philosopher and author Ayn Rand wrote that "If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject." The 14th Dalai Lama believed that "If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another." So is it better to be an egoist or an altruist? Both sides offer viable arguments. If we're too busy bending over backwards for others, our own wellbeing may suffer. If we refuse to help others, there's a very good chance we will end up with few allies. One thing is for certain - egoists and altruists view the world and humanity in very different ways.

After collecting data from over 13,000 people, Queendom.com uncovered eye-opening information on the philosophies of giving and receiving. Gender comparisons of Queendom's data on their Egoism/Altruism test reveal that women are more altruistic than men (score of 75 vs. 65 on a scale of 0 to 100), more empathetic (73 vs. 68), and more willing to be helpful (71 vs. 66). Age comparisons indicate that older age groups (those 30 and over) compared to younger age groups are more altruistic (74 vs. 65), empathetic (75 vs. 69), and helpful (74 vs. 66). Younger people are also more likely to be "opportunistic": their altruism comes with stipulations, in that they are willing to give, but want something in return. Queendom's statistics also reveal that 55% of people have been accused of being self-centered at least once in their life, and of those who proclaimed themselves as being totally altruistic, ironically, 6% admit that others actually consider them to be the total opposite.

"Whether altruism is better than egoism or vice versa, is highly subjective", surmises Dr. Ilona Jerabek, president of the company. "Some people feel that it's best to look out for themselves; others feel that it's our purpose in life, if not our duty, to help others. Does that mean that egoists are selfish and don't live fulfilling lives? Not necessarily. Our research does show, however, that altruists are more likely to be in happy relationships, to enjoy their job and to perform well at work. And despite what some may think, being altruistic doesn't require a big bank account. Our test-takers in the lower salary range were actually slightly more altruistic than those in the upper ranges."

So to what degree do egoists and altruists differ? After comparing extreme Scrooges to extreme Santas, Queendom's research revealed some rather fascinating results:

- 1% of egoists stated that they enjoy helping people, compared to 98% of altruists.
- 3% of egoists stated that they feel really bad when they see someone less fortunate than them, compared to 88% of altruists.
- 4% of egoists regularly do favors for others without being asked, compared to 86% of altruists.
- 4% of egoists said that they would make themselves readily available if someone needed help, compared to 89% of altruists.
- 9% of egoists would offer their seat on a bus to an elderly woman, compared to 96% of altruists.
- 10% of egoists consider themselves a supportive and encouraging person, compared to 97% of altruists.
- 10% of egoists find it easy to put themselves in other's shoes, compared to 91% of altruists.
- 11% of egoists said that it upsets them to see someone in pain, compared to 98% of altruists.
- For 65% of egoists, the first person they turn to when they need a favor is someone whom they did a favor for in the past; only 13% of altruists would do this.
- 76% of egoists have helped someone in order to get on his/her good side, compared to 6% of altruists.
- 89% of egoists expect favors to others to be returned. Interestingly, none of the altruists held this perspective very strongly - only 5% said that they sometimes expect a something in return, while the rest of the 95% stated that they would not expect anything.
- 90% of egoists will help someone if doing so will benefit them in some way, compared to 3% of altruists.
- When asked what they would do if they found a wallet with $100 and credit cards, the top answer for egoists was to "Keep the cash and throw everything else out". The top answer for altruists was to "Mail it to the owner at my own expense".
- When asked what they would do if they saw an elderly woman struggling and frightened to cross a busy street, the top answer for egoists was to "Keep walking, someone will let her through eventually". The top answer for altruists was to "Cross the road and ask her if she would like some help".

Those who wish to take the Egoism/Altruism Test can go to: http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=692

About Queendom.com
Queendom.com is a subsidiary of PsychTests AIM Inc. Queendom.com is a site that creates an interactive venue for self-exploration with a healthy dose of fun. The site offers a full range of professional-quality, scientifically-validated psychological assessments that empower people to grow and reach their real potential through insightful feedback and detailed, custom-tailored analysis.

About PsychTests AIM Inc:
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts. The company's research division, Plumeus Inc., is supported in part by the Research and Development Tax Credit awarded by Industry Canada.

Contact:
Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., President
PsychTests AIM Inc.
http://testyourself.psychtests.com/
[email protected]
tel: 514-745-3189