Does Kindness Work Now?

All of us are feeling the strain of modern incivility and angry, divisive politics. Could Kindness Work for this kind of society? I explore this crucial question and ways we can reclaim a better society with intentional prosocial action. I cover the powerful ideas of ancient philosophy and modern science to reveal the personal benefits of improving physical and mental health, plus how moving to intentional acts of kindness create a ripple effect that promotes mental health for all. The main takeaway: Kindness is scientifically and socially powerful.

Learn more about Random Acts of Kindness https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

Transcript

In 1991, Anne Herbert shared an inspiring quote with her students. It read, “Practice random acts of kindness and acts of senseless beauty.” The phrase became the subject of a news story in the San Francisco Chronicle and spread across the world. When a book about it was published in 1993 people all over the world began to take action. A worldwide campaign was born as the Random Acts of Kindness campaign.

                Let’s explore something that goes against the river of meanness in America today to find whether kindness can work in today’s world.

                The virtue of kindness has a long history. The ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca taught an act of kindness which expected a reciprocal act was not virtuous. The real virtue was an act of giving or caring with no expectation of benefit to the giver. Today we celebrate this as altruism that is promoted across the world.

                However, let’s face reality about today’s world. Kindness is in short supply. This is painfully obvious in modern politics. Right wing pundits and politicians launched a vicious smear campaign in the 1990’s. The goal was to brand Democrats as baby killers, communists, pervert-promoting, anti-American enemies. Talk show hosts led the way and the politicians soon followed. Ten years ago, the presidential campaign took this to a new level through midnight tweets filled with demeaning name calling and continual lies. Kindness and civility died from the cuts of a million views on social media.

                What is kindness really? The Greco-Roman world had a clear understanding in the word “chrestotes” that describes acting with friendliness and respect toward others. Modern science defines it as intentional behaviors of prosocial action. Kindness embraces behaviors like courtesy, empathy, listening, generosity, and nurturing.  

                The Bible gives this quality a more profound meaning by connecting it to the nature of God. The words of the great prophet Isaiah, compiled around 500 BCE, give voice to God explaining God’s essential nature. “I will show you mercy with kindness forever, says the Lord.”[1] The disciples of the Apostle Paul taught that the love and mercy of God finds its highest expression in the redemptive work of Jesus. They wrote that God shows “the immeasurable riches of [God’s] grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”[2] The truth of God as kind, merciful, and compassionate flows through the entire Bible in unmistakable clarity.

                It is a modern tragedy that the Christian Nationalism movement has abandoned any sense of kindness in the pursuit of controlling American life. Videos show the brutal attacks on asylum seekers who have followed the legal process afforded to refugees. Deportations without due process have sent more than 200,000 people out of the country to an unknown fate. Leaders demonize any opposing voice with outlandish lies yet seek to censure the free speech of others by intimidation and destructive social media campaigns. Cruel attacks have replaced kindness.             

                Can kindness make a comeback? This is not a question for a children’s Sunday School class but an essential question to recover a society where all can thrive. 

                Psychologists support the personal benefits of practicing kindness. Acting with kindness can actually lower stress indicators like cortisol and blood pressure, while boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Looking at the long term effect across years, such as reported in the Harvard Grant Study, highlights that close relationships, characterized by kindness, warmth, and depth, are the strongest predictor of physical health, longevity, and reduced cognitive decline. And pay attention to this: a study from 10,000 respondents in 33 countries rated kindness higher than physical attractiveness in a potential mate.[3]

                The beginning of a new campaign of kindness can be as close as a neighbor. We can move beyond random acts of kindness to intentional acts of kindness. When we do helpful actions for someone, we are honoring their essential worth. Taking action will cost some time and planning but it will create a reverberation of satisfaction in both parties. The quiet act of an encouraging call to a grieving acquaintance or an hour given to volunteer at the animal rescue farm offers kindness that makes the burdens lighter.

                In the public arena, we can act with kindness at work in dealing with our coworkers or customers. This is where cultivating empathy is vital. The difficult customer may be a woman who is struggling with paying the bills. The teammate who can’t get along with anyone may be a man who is afraid of being replaced. Empathy breeds kindness as we step alongside the journey of a fellow human. In politics, from the school board to the Congress, kindness is shown with respect for the opponent and honorable conduct that may actually produce a functional government for everyone. 

                Three thousand years ago, the philosopher Seneca said, “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness."

                World Kindness Day occurs on November 13. It is promoted by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, which seeks to change the world through inspiring acts of kindness as the norm for society. The Random Acts of Kindness website lists dozens of actions anyone can take to make their world a flourishing oasis of well-being.[4]

                It is an amazing fact that kindness is contagious. When people witness kind behavior, they are more likely to repeat an act of kindness toward others. A cascade of more kindness can follow that ripples across a family or community to promote mental health for all. 

                Each of us can be a force for well-being with acts of kindness, respect, caring, or giving. “Be kind to one another,”[5] is a favorite Bible verse for children to memorize. Science and human solidarity makes this is the plain and simple truth we must never outgrow. Kindness does work.

[1] Isaiah 54:7 New Century Version
[2] Ephesians 2:7 NRSVUE
[3] “The Science of Kindness.” https://kindness.org/kindlab/
[4] “Kindness Ideas,” https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
[5] Ephesians 4:32