Why Kindness?Why Kindness, Image made by Steve Kaye, (c) Steve Kaye

Or more specifically, why would you want to be kind?

Actually, kindness is both practical and smart.

Here’s why:


1) You Feel Better

Kindness is a reward in itself.

So when you act with kindness, you know that you have behaved well.

In contrast, meanness leaves a person feeling dirty.


2) You Feel Safer

Kindness builds positive relationships. It creates alliances. And it leads to friendships.

So you feel safer when you act with kindness.

In contrast, meanness leads to fears of retaliation.


3) You Feel Useful

Kindness is essential for making a relationship (or a society ) successful. For example, people are more effective when they live and work in a safe environment.

So showing kindness helps you feel like an active participant in a functioning society.

In contrast, meanness degrades a society (or ruins a relationship).


4) You Become More Attractive

People like being with those who act with kindness. This matters in both business and personal relationships.

In addition, consistent kindness builds trust. And trust is essential for agreements that lead to assistance, cooperation, promotions, progress, and sales.

So people are attracted to those who act with kindness.

In contrast, people avoid those who are mean.


5) You Become More Effective

People who are kind can devote more time to building achievements, implementing solutions, and making progress.

They also gain more support from others because everyone prefers to work with (and help) those who behave well.

So they succeed through cooperative partnerships.

In contrast, people who act with meanness waste time on repairs and damage control. And they often have to work harder without the support of others.


One More (Important) Point

Kindness must work both ways.

So we always begin by treating everyone with kindness.

If the other person responds with kindness, the relationship continues.

And if the other person responds with meanness (such as anger, insults, threats, or violence), the relationship needs to move on. Or it needs to proceed with caution.

Recognize that meanness can push you into either: 1) Attempting to protect yourself, or 2) Retaliating.

So, meanness can be used as bait to lure you into behaving poorly.

Then you hurt yourself. And you end up in a cycle of meanness where everybody loses.

Thus, it is important to avoid dysfunctional relationships before they harm you.

Yes, make a sincere attempt to resolve them, because one act of meanness may have been a mistake or a misunderstanding.

If the meanness continues, then ask yourself whether the relationship is worth the stress.

And the kindest way to leave is: Just go.


Find Ideas More at:

27 Ways to Be Kind (27 easy, practical ideas)

Gift of Kindness (Story about the Kindness Coin)

Kindness for the Holidays (How create memories that people cherish)

How to Be a Millionaire (Become rich in a way that matters)

Make Small Changes (Small acts of kindness matter)