There are many who will say that there isn’t enough kindness to go around. The world would be so much better off if people understood why kindness matters.
Why does kindness matter? Kindness is a very potent superpower that everyone in the world is capable of practicing and espousing in everyday life. It is a force that is strong enough to drastically impact your life and the lives of those around you for the better.
Kindness is such a scarce resource in human interactions these days. In this age of digital information and social media, people are more connected than they have ever been in the history of human civilization.
This connectedness has led to many advances in several aspects of human existence. However, it has also fueled and propagated a lot of hate and negative energy in the world as well.
When I do a quick run through my social media feed, I see so many positive posts about people who are sharing love and kindness wherever they go. Still, I also see one too many posts that are more negative in tone.
It’s as if people are allowing various social divisions to really get in the way of oneness and unity. Now more than ever, it’s important that people understand why kindness matters in a world that is so divided by social class, race, politics, religion, and the like.
The Importance of Kindness
The importance of kindness isn’t a lesson that is commonly emphasized in informal educational settings. A lot of the time, people just learn kindness within their home environment or their group of friends. It’s not like people are lining up to earn college credits for Kindness 101.
However, that isn’t to say that kindness isn’t a trait or skill that all of the people in the world should have any interest in. By the time you reach the end of this article, hopefully, you will be convinced of the value and importance of being kind towards others. It’s essential that people become more invested in being kind to others to help make this world a better place.
Understandably, kindness isn’t a skill that comes naturally to most people. That’s okay. Most of the time, kindness is learned and developed in accordance to how other people around you are conducting themselves.
This is especially true during the formative years of a person’s life. This is why it’s very important that kids are constantly exposed to acts and environments of kindness as well.
While being sensitive, thoughtful, generous, and everything else that comes with being kind might not be a strength for all, it’s not impossible to learn to develop these skills. The key really lies in just understanding why simple acts of kindness are very important, and how these can positively impact society as a whole.
On top of that, being kind towards others can also be positive for your own life, helping you to shape your happiness every day. This is something that we will tackle further as we delve deeper into this article.
You shouldn’t need any incentive to be kind other than the fact that it helps make the world a better place. Undeniably, human nature has contributed to various disastrous and unfortunate situations throughout history. While it is in our nature to make mistakes, it should also be in our nature to learn from them.
Just because we have had a history of being unkind, or even downright despicable, towards others in the past doesn’t mean that those instances are what ultimately have to define us moving forward.
Another huge part of human nature is learning from our mistakes. When we act mean-spiritedly towards other people unknowingly, it’s important that we take a step back and reassess how we could have handled that situation better.
Yes, human beings make mistakes, but we should make it a point to learn from these mistakes as well. This is really the only way we are able to rectify the shortcomings that we have every now and then.
So, indulge a bit and try reading through the rest of this article. While being kind towards others isn’t exactly rocket science or brain surgery, it would be foolish to oversimplify kindness as well.
There are many layers and dimensions to being kind towards others. The more you understand how kindness truly impacts yourself and those around you, the better position you will be in to embody kindness in your life.
How Being Kind to Others is Good for You
There is no denying the importance of establishing strong social connections with the people around you. You can never really make it in your life if it’s just you alone. It’s always important that you are able to gather the support and help of those around you. That’s why you have to make it a point to really build the relationships in your life.
At the end of the day, the absolute best way to build your relationships with other people is if you act kindly towards them. See, a lot of people who are self-obsessed and narcissistic seem to think that being kind is only beneficial towards other people. However, what they don’t realize is that being kind to others is a great way to improve the quality of their own lives.
This is not just a random sweeping claim that people pull out of their hats; it’s actually backed up by science. If you grew up in a healthy, nurturing environment, it’s likely that you were always told to treat other people the way that you want to be treated.
In addition, there are plenty of studies out there that claim that kids are naturally wired to be kind. So, it shouldn’t be all that difficult for you to learn when you’re younger.
However, it’s not rare for people to sometimes forget the value of kindness as they get older. This is especially true for people who lead rather difficult and complicated lives. If you consider yourself to be one of those people, then this piece can serve as something of a reminder for you.
To incentivize you to be kinder to others, read on to learn more about the different ways kindness can be good for your life and health, ultimately helping you use kindness to shape your happiness.
Kindness Triggers the Release of Serotonin
Think back to the last time you did something nice for someone. Try to remember how you felt in that moment. Did you feel happy and energetic about it? Well, there is something that is known as the “helper’s high.”
This is when people do nice things for others, and experience a boost of happiness as a result. This phenomenon takes place when serotonin, a happy hormone, is released in your brain as a result of you doing something kind for someone else.
Kindness Helps Alleviate Stress
Stress is a silent killer. It’s something that eats away at your insides and slowly drains the life out of you. You must always make it a point to relieve yourself of stress in as many ways you can.
Fortunately, the feel-good hormones that are released in your body when you do something nice for others is also a great stress reliever. Essentially, by easing the stresses of others, you end up alleviating the stresses in your own life as well.
Kindness Helps Alleviate Anxiety
Anxiety is a very serious mental condition that a lot of people have to deal with in their everyday lives. Unbeknownst to many, kindness is one of the most effective (and inexpensive) ways to beat anxiety.
You don’t always have to resort to expensive medications or therapy sessions. Sometimes, simply being nice to others can do the trick.
Kindness Improves Your Immune System
Inflammation is an irregular occurrence in the body that is typically associated with a variety of health problems. People who have cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and other such serious illnesses often experience some kind of inflammation in their bodies.
However, there is a natural chemical that the brain releases into the body called oxytocin. This is another happy hormone and is known to be released when you perform acts of kindness towards others.
Kindness is Good for Cardiovascular Health
It’s not just metaphorical or symbolic whenever they say that kindness is good for the heart. It really is good for the heart, even in a physiological sense.
As previously mentioned, the brain triggers a release of oxytocin into the body when performing an act of kindness. Oxytocin triggers the release of nitric oxide, which helps expand and dilate the blood vessels to make for better blood flow throughout the body.
Kindness Improves Your Life Expectancy
Given all of the factors above related to kindness improving your immune system, mental health, and cardiovascular health, it should stand to reason that kindness also impacts your life expectancy.
When you live life with a positive disposition, it helps improve the overall state of your health. In turn, this will give you a better chance of living a longer and happier life.
How Kindness Affects Others Around You
Of course, kindness isn’t something that should just be beneficial for you. By its very essence, kindness is also embodied by principles of thoughtfulness, generosity, and mindfulness for other people.
So, it can’t just be all about how you are being kind for the sake of benefitting your own self. You also have to understand why kindness is good for the people around you.
It can’t be emphasized enough how kindness can be one of the most important tools in connecting and uniting people all around the world. When you are just inherently kind, it makes it much easier for you to relate to and connect with other people.
In the end, you will find it easy to endear a lot of people towards you when you consistently practice kindness.
Yes, you’re already familiar with the many ways that kindness is good for you. But it’s now time to familiarize yourself with how your kindness can impact the people around you.
The thing about kindness is that its effects know no boundaries. A simple act of kindness can have just as significant an impact on another person as it can on you.
You Prove to Others that Kindness Still Exists
You never know what kind of struggle other people in the world might be going through. A lot of the time, people can go through some very bad stretches of life, during which they are just continually bombarded with negativity and hatred.
If you act with kindness, you remind these people that there is still some good in this world that is worth believing in and fighting for.
You Give Other People the Inspiration to Be Kind
Sometimes, all it takes is a simple act of kindness to inspire another person to do the same. Again, kindness might not be a trait that is inherent to people. However, with continuous exposure to kindness, it’s a lot easier to integrate acts of kindness into everyday life.
If you make it a point to be kind to others, you can serve as their inspiration to pay that kindness forward as well.
You Add Value to the Life of Another Person
One of the most significant effects of being kind to another person is that you add a sense of value to their life. When they feel like you are being kind towards them, they also feel that you are valuing them as a human being. You are giving them the respect that they deserve.
As a result, this makes them feel better about themselves, and adds to their self-esteem.
You Help Alleviate the Problems and Negativity in the Lives of Others
Lastly, you never know what kind of problems another person might be going through. The simple gesture of giving a homeless person a twenty dollar bill might not mean a lot to you, but it could mean a world of difference to them. It might even mean they are able to get a bite to eat after not having eaten for a long stretch of time.
How to Practice Kindness Every Day
There are many different stories of kindness that you might encounter in everyday life. It’s undeniable that there is so much kindness to be found all around the world.
However, that shouldn’t be taken to mean that there is ever enough kindness to go around. It’s never enough. You should still always be doing your part to espouse kindness everywhere you go.
Still, don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not exactly sure of how you’re supposed to go about this. Again, it’s all a matter of environment. Kindness will come more easily to you when you are exposed to it more often.
If that isn’t the case with you, that’s okay. You can still do your part in learning to be a kinder and more thoughtful individual.
Ultimately, your character is going to be defined by the kinds of habits that you practice on a daily basis. The only real way for you to be a truly kind individual is if you incorporate kindness into your daily routine.
Remember, merely wanting to be kind is not enough. You must also actively practice kindness in order for it to have an effect on yourself and those around you.
If you’re unsure of how you can incorporate kindness into your daily life, don’t worry. There are many ways in which you can choose to go about doing so.
To help you get a good start, here are a few ideas that you might want to take to heart. As simple as they might seem, these acts of kindness can go a long way in spreading positivity and love around the world.
Always Put Yourself in Another Person’s Situation
A lot of the time, insensitivity and selfishness can lead to a lot of unkindness and negative interactions between people. You have to understand that everyone is fighting a different battle. The more understanding you are of another person’s situation, the likelier you will be to act with kindness and sensitivity when dealing with them.
Do Volunteer Work
Regardless of whatever hardship you might be going through in life, there is bound to be someone else who has it worse. This is what you call privilege.
When you are a person of privilege, try to pay it forward by volunteering to do nice things for those who are less fortunate than you. You might not realize how significant and impactful your little efforts are to those around you.
Take the Time to Listen to Others
It really pays to be an active listener when you’re interacting with other people. You don’t want to end up as the person who keeps on hearing but is never listening.
By taking the time to listen to others, you are also expanding your worldview. You are giving yourself a chance to see things from another perspective. It’s easier to be kinder towards others when you know where they’re coming from.
Be Liberal with Compliments
Don’t be so withholding of compliments. You would be surprised at how impactful and effective a compliment can be when endearing yourself to another person.
Even something as simple as telling someone that they have a nice smile can really go a long way. It shows that you’re paying attention to that person’s demeanor, and it helps them feel good about themselves.
Show Your Appreciation and Gratitude
Obviously, you are going to be on the receiving end of kindness and generosity every once in a while. In those instances, you must always practice appreciation and gratitude.
You must always make it a point to show others that you are genuinely thankful for whatever they do for you. This, in turn, will make them feel more enticed to spread kindness towards others too.
Forgive Others for Their Mistakes
People make mistakes. It’s part of human nature. None of us are ever going to go through this world without having a few shortcomings here and there. None of us are perfect.
This is why it’s important that you practice patience whenever other people disappoint you, or fall short of your expectations. Forgive people whenever they do something wrong, and you will find that people will be more forgiving of you as well whenever the situation is switched.
Give Hugs and Other Forms of Physical Affection
Whenever appropriate, don’t be afraid of doling out hugs and kisses to those who might need it. If you have a sibling who is struggling with a problem, a simple hug might be enough to make them feel significantly better.
Even just a simple pat on the back can make a person feel like they aren’t alone, and let them know that someone empathizes with them.
Smile
Lastly, just smile. A smile is often perceived by people to be an invitation of warmth and kindness. When you smile, you are making the people around you feel more comfortable and at ease with themselves.
Also, smiling just has a tendency to uplift the people around you. It also makes you a lot more amiable, as opposed to if you were just frowning all of the time.
Are Humans Inherently Kind?
There are many people who will say that human beings are inherently kind, but there are also those who will say that they aren’t. Perhaps the safest assumption would be that human beings mostly act depending on how they are treated. People who are treated with kindness tend to be kinder towards others, too.
Can You Be Too Kind?
Ultimately, the truth is that you can be too kind to the point that you start letting other people take advantage of your kindness. Still, it’s always better to have the moral high ground in any situation that you are in.
2-Minute Lesson on Kindness
Once upon a time, an old, wise man visited a small village to try and spread his messages of love, compassion, and kindness to the village’s inhabitants. Unfortunately, this foreigner was not greeted with much respect or enthusiasm by the younglings in that village.
Instead, he was greeted with a lot of hate, taunting, and bullying. In fact, it was a wonder to them why he still chose to remain in the village at all when he was consistently barraged by their unending torment.
However, in spite of the hostile reception, the man stayed and continued to try to be a positive influence on the people of that town.
One day, the wise man was doing his rounds in the local market, just minding his own business. Suddenly, he saw the group of younglings approaching him. He knew what they were going to do, and what they were about to say. He had been on the receiving end of their foul words for quite some time now.
However, rather than avoiding the situation or being stressed out about it, he smiled and sighed to himself with a sense of relief. Somehow, he knew what he was supposed to do. He wasn’t going to be fazed by this situation at all.
As the bullies called out to him in preparation to ridicule him for his weird ways and unusual demeanor, he merely listened to them. He absorbed all of their taunts and insults.
Many of the witnesses at the scene were indifferent to the situation. Some of the adults even began laughing, and joined in on the chorus of ridicule that was being thrown the old man’s way.
He just stood there, smiling at them, taking it all in. When they had grown tired of bullying and taunting him, the old man then proceeded to get on his knees.
He began praying aloud for his tormentors. He asked whatever deity he believed in to bless these young kids, and these bullies. He prayed for them to have enlightened and bright futures filled with success and happiness.
The people around the marketplace were stunned to have witnessed that kind of reaction to such a stressful and humiliating situation. They were quite certain that the old wise man would eventually get fed up and respond with hostilities himself.
Rather, he had done the complete opposite of what they had expected him to do. He had blessed his tormentors, and he had asked his God to take care of them.
Puzzled, a bystander who had seen the whole thing take place approached the old man and asked him why he had done what he did. Surely, the bystander said, he would have responded with hostility after getting fed up with all the unwarranted insults and bullying.
Everyone in the market was eager to hear the old man’s response, all of them wondering the same thing. To this, the old wise man replied:
“In this life, we can give only what we have. I give them my blessing, because that is all I have. They give me their foul words, because that is all they have.”
The wise man was never made fun of again.
What a story like this can teach us is that it’s always important to practice kindness. Not just when it’s easy and convenient to do so, but especially when it’s most difficult.
When you are stuck in a situation where there is a lot of hatred and hostility, you can’t allow yourself to get sucked into that kind of energy. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, you can’t drive hatred out with hate; only love can do that.
Kindness might not necessarily be a trait that is common to many. However, when you try your hardest to make sure that you live your life with uncompromising kindness and love, you unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.
Put yourself in a position where kindness is all that you can give. You will find that the world will be much better off for it.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, there are many ways in which you can choose to practice kindness in this world. There isn’t just one definitive solution or paradigm for being kind towards other people. It’s all relative to the people that you’re interacting with, and the situations that they are in.
Hopefully, this article will have helped sharpen your intuition, show you why kindness matters, and help you use that kindness to shape your own happiness in life.
At the end of the day, kindness is almost like an intuitive skill that you have to drill into your character. Not everyone is so willing to do this, but if more people take the time and effort to be kinder to others, this world would be a much better place to live in.