Elizabeth Svoboda

About

Elizabeth Svoboda has contributed to publications like Discover, Popular Science, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Her newest book, for kids, is The Life Heroic: How to Unleash Your Most Amazing Self, a follow-up to her first book What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness. She lives in San Jose, CA, with her husband and two sons.

Books by Elizabeth Svoboda

Recent Posts

How Real-Life Heroes Rise to the Occasion

Amidst the terror of this summer's mass shootings, heroes emerged to save lives.

"Virtual Heroism" Is a Real Thing

The research is in: Online outreach can amplify real-world helping quests.

How to Turn Your Pain into Purpose

The tough stuff we go through can motivate us to relieve others' suffering. Here's how this transformation can happen.

The Greatest of All Time

Sure, it's folly to suggest that athletes' on-court feats are heroic in themselves. But there's a reason it feels so natural, so self-evident, to call our favorite athletes heroes.

The Youngest Heroes

Tyler Doohan, 9, awoke when flames swept through his family's trailer last month in Penfield, NY. Once Tyler realized what was happening, he was able to wake six of his family members and guide them to safety. What would motivate a child like Tyler to put others' safety ahead of his own?

Tyler Doohan, 9, awoke when flames swept through his family's trailer last month in Penfield, NY. Once Tyler realized what was happening, he was able to wake six of his family members and guide them to safety. What would motivate a child like Tyler to put others' safety ahead of his own?

Do “Hero's Journey” Narratives Create Heroes?

Tales of personal growth, selfless sacrifice, and triumph against great odds exert a powerful pull on us. But do the stories we absorb actually affect how we live our lives?

Tales of personal growth, selfless sacrifice, and triumph against great odds exert a powerful pull on us. But do the stories we absorb actually affect how we live our lives?

Altruism as Enlightened Self-Interest

It's the sense of deep satisfaction they get that makes some altruists “lifers”: They're so steeped in the joy that comes from helping others that they can't imagine doing anything else.

It's the sense of deep satisfaction they get that makes some altruists “lifers”: They're so steeped in the joy that comes from helping others that they can't imagine doing anything else.

Is Altruism Ever Pure?

When I told people I was working on a book about the science of heroism and altruism, some sounded skeptical. “There’s no such thing as true altruism,” they would say.

When I told people I was working on a book about the science of heroism and altruism, some sounded skeptical. “There’s no such thing as true altruism,” they would say.

Dissecting the Science of Selflessness

My book, What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness, has officially launched! Does science offer us realistic hope to become more compassionate as a species? And do you have to make headlines to lead a truly heroic life?

My book, What Makes a Hero?: The Surprising Science of Selflessness, has officially launched! Does science offer us realistic hope to become more compassionate as a species? And do you have to make headlines to lead a truly heroic life?

"I could have done more"

It's tough to think of a starker real-life crisis of conscience than the one faced by Jan Karski. Karski was a World War II Polish underground member who gathered important information about Poland and reported it to the country's government-in-exile. While carrying out this mission, Karski encountered evidence of a colossal crime: the destruction of the European Jews.

It's tough to think of a starker real-life crisis of conscience than the one faced by Jan Karski. Karski was a World War II Polish underground member who gathered important information about Poland and reported it to the country's government-in-exile. While carrying out this mission, Karski encountered evidence of a colossal crime: the destruction of the European Jews.