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Moral actions may increase our capacity for willpower and physical endurance according to a research conducted by a student from Harvard University.



The study shows a boost in physical strength after doing a good deed. More surprisingly was the finding that doing naughty things gives greater boost in physical endurance.


Kurt Gray, a doctoral student in psychology at Harvard explains the effects of morality. He said:


“People perceive those who do good and evil to have more efficacy, more willpower, and less sensitivity to discomfort. By perceiving themselves as good or evil, people embody these perceptions, actually becoming more capable of physical endurance.”


The study was based on two studies. In the first study, participants were asked to hold a 5lb weight after being told to keep a dollar or donate it to charity. In the second study, participants held a weight while writing fictional stories of themselves or either helping another or harming another.


The fist study shows that those who thought about doing good were stronger than those who did not. On the other hand, the second study shows that the malefactors were even stronger than those who envisioned doing good deed.


The research was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.