Analynn Riley

KINDNESS

Same voice. No blog scroll needed.

THE GENTLE GESTURE — Liana Asatrya 2024

indness… Is it simply good manners? A biological necessity? Is it inherent? Learned? Can we lose it?

Kindness does seem to be in short supply these days. People I encountered through work or projects a decade ago were equally as busy as they are today, but still generally kind. Of course, there’s always the grumps that cross our paths. But now I’m wondering, are the grumps taking over, because there seem to be a whole lot more of them… everywhere!

Kindness may still be around, but because of the current rise in narcissism* or the decline in social trust*, we could be refraining from doing kind things because we are self-focussed and/or trusting less, especially when it comes to trusting strangers and that which we don’t understand. For example, upon leaving a restaurant where we had enjoyed a lovely meal, my dad suddenly began to stagger, losing his footing. About to collapse, I rushed to support him while another member of our party used their cell phone to call for an ambulance. No one in the restaurant, not employees, employer or patrons, offered to help me support this tall, well-built but aging man. Instead, someone from a nearby table laughed and pronounced loudly for all to hear, “Drunk, heh?” I shouted back, “Heart attack!”

THE GOOD SAMARITAN — Balthasar van Cortbemde

Kindness is simple and kindness is complex. Simply put, it exists because our prime motivation in life is to survive, be healthy, and know happiness, elements that are nurtured by kindness. Because our striving for these most often meets with challenges, being kind can become less simple.

From Aristotle to Seneca to Buddah, kindness has been referred to as a moral virtue. Some cultures and religions continue to tout it as such, but with the advancements in scientific research, we’re learning that kindness goes deeper than what we may have thought.

Current research suggests that kindness is not merely a social virtue. It appears to influence psychological health, brain function, immune activity, and even some markers of physical health in both the person giving kindness and the person receiving it. That said, researchers caution that not every study reveals particularly large effects in these areas.

Being kind isn't just gratifying — it's a path to greater well-being.*

Try a Little KindnessGlen Campbell

Apparently, kindness improves psychological well-being. Randomized controlled trials have found that regularly performing small acts of kindness, for example, three acts per week, can reduce…

Depression

Anxiety

Loneliness

Self-focused rumination

Social isolation

… While increasing—

◦ Life satisfaction

◦ Feelings of social connection

◦ Sense of purpose.

Kindness directed towards other people often produces larger mental health benefit than kindness directed solely toward oneself. Further, researchers have discovered that people performing repeated acts of kindness towards others show reduced stress-related inflammation, thereby perhaps even affecting their long-term health.

The magic lies in practicing kindness and compassion, and by creating a positive narrative in our minds. — Dr. James R. Doty

Be Kind To Your ParentsPete Seeger

Brain imaging studies suggest that activities involving ‘giving/kindness’ activate regions involved in reward, motivation, social bonding and life meaning, this to include:

Ventral striatum

Medial prefrontal cortex

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

These are many of the same regions activated by enjoyable experiences, though kindness tends to produce longer-lasting feelings of satisfaction than many purely self-focused rewards.

When we engage in acts of kindness, the brain’s reward circuitry lights up, releasing a potent trio of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, that together make up what we might call the Happiness Trifecta.*

Treat People With KindnessHarry Styles

Being the one on the receiving end of kindness appears to have important psychological effects as well. Research shows we commonly experience:

Increased trust

Reduced loneliness

Greater feelings of belonging

Improved mood

Increased hope

Greater willingness to help someone else.

Apparently we consistently underestimate how much our kindness matters to others. Whether child, adolescent, or adult, research shows that we believe our kind acts will have less emotional impact than recipients actually report experiencing.

What’s unique about kindness is that it appears to spread. Scientists call this, prosocial contagion. One act of kindness often increases the probability that—

Person A helps Person B → Person B later helps Person C →
Person C helps someone else

Kindness frequently propagates through social interactions, this pay it forward phenomenon well supported by a number of behavioural studies. Kindness is more evident in face-to-face encounters than in virtual ones.*

BOY TYING A GIRL’S SHOE — Robert Barnes

Did you know that there are measurable physical changes that take place when we are kind and prosocial? The effects are modest, not miraculous, so not a substitute for medical interventions, but kind behaviour can lower our blood pressure, pep up immune regulation, even improve our sleep.

Subjective happiness increases simply by counting one's own acts of kindness for one week.*

Kind and GenerousNatalie Merchant

Why does being kind impact us and others in so many positive ways? Social connection seems to be a key ingredient. Kind acts that involve genuine interpersonal interaction often produce stronger effects than anonymous giving. That said, the personalities of the giver and receiver influence how much benefit is experienced. Also, one may not feel much positive benefit when being forced or feeling obligated to help another. And, when it comes to chronic caregiving without support, stress may increase in spite of the act of kindness.

In this digital age, does being kind online makes a difference, any difference at all? Apparently, it does, though it’s not as effective as in-person connection*.

Kindness media, or media portrayals of people helping or supporting each other, has been shown previously to elevate viewers and promote interconnectedness.*

I’VE SEEN KINDNESS BLOOM — Misako Chida

Analynn Riley

KINDNESS

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