Asking why kindness is important can seem like a question with an obvious answer. It’s similar to asking why human beings should eat.
However, the truth is that we always need reminders like this to remind us of the motivations behind certain values like kindness so that it strengthens our desire to keep practicing them.
People are aware of the importance of these things; they just get neglected sometimes. For example, although many know feeding is necessary, it is still often overlooked, which is why reminders are essential.
To be kind does not mean showing care to only certain people in a way that makes the act profitable. It means showing care and consideration to everyone.
This may not be reciprocated immediately or even at all. Still, it is an amazing quality to have as a person. In this article, I will give you 10 solid reasons why kindness is important.
But before that, let us examine some subtopics under this topic, like the meaning of kindness and why it is vital in different aspects of life, like society, leadership, the workplace etc.
What Is Kindness And Why Is Kindness Important?
You may be familiar with kindness, but what exactly is kindness? Why is it so important? Kindness is the quality of being caring and considerate and showing genuine concern for other people.
It can mean putting other people’s needs before yours; in this way, it is related to the virtue or value of selflessness. A kind person is not kind because they expect a reward for being kind.
Instead, they show kindness without expecting any praise or reward in return for their kindness. Being kind is showing genuine care for the next person and not always thinking about only yourself or your needs.
For example, using a public restroom properly and leaving it clean for the next person or obeying traffic rules creates harmony and order. These are good reasons why kindness is important in society.
However, in today’s society, kindness has become even more critical because people have a very short fuse these days. On the internet, for example, it’s very common to find people using foul language on each other over the slightest things because they cannot see each other.
Being kind is not only a good virtue to have but is very important to create a peaceful society where everyone looks out for each other.
It reveals our shared humanity and helps us realize that no matter what it may look like, we are all people fighting different battles in life. It also reminds us that kindness would go a long way in helping each of us fight and win these battles better.
Kindness To Self vs Kindness To Others
Showing kindness is not only an external thing but starts from within. Kindness to self involves treating yourself with respect and care. It means not being judgmental or harsh on yourself when you make mistakes or do not hit a goal that you set.
Genuine kindness starts from being kind to yourself and treating yourself as worthy of love and care. It is from that well of love you give yourself that you extend to others.
The truth is that you can not give what you do not have. It can lead to emotional burnout if you always try to be kind to people and do not have that same kindness within you.
So, show kindness to yourself first, and you will see that it becomes much easier to treat others kindly. To learn how to be kinder to yourself, click here to read the post.
10 Reasons Why Kindness Is Important
Why should you be kind to others? Here are ten reasons why:
1. It Makes You Feel Good
Being kind boosts the release of serotonin and dopamine, which give you satisfaction and pleasure. When you show an act of kindness to people, it makes you feel good about yourself because you have done something good.
As humans, it is natural for us to feel bad when we do something terrible. In the same way, we feel good when we perform acts of kindness to others or even ourselves.
When you feel good about an act you have done, it encourages you to do more. This serves as a good motivation to inspire you to keep being kind.
However, do not reduce being kind to doing good just because you want to feel good. Being kind just because you want to feel good about yourself will not pay off in the long run.
It would become a pretentious act, and although it may profit the people you are being kind to, it would not benefit you, and that would not be showing kindness to yourself.
2. It Is Contagious
Kindness is contagious! Has someone ever done something kind to you, and you suddenly wanted to do a kind deed for someone else? That right there is the contagious effect of kindness.
This is why kindness is important because if we can all show kindness to each other, the world would be a much better place to live in.
When you show kindness to another person, you make their day better, making them more likely to help someone else when they are in a position to. In this manner, your act of kindness has infected that person.
We not only teach people how to treat us through our actions but also how to treat others they may encounter. Showing kindness becomes necessary because it is a tool that can change the world! Kindness is one thing that doubles when it is shared.
3. It Is Free
The best gifts in life are free, and kindness is one of them. It costs you nothing to be kind to others, to give a kind word to someone in distress, or to put a smile on someone’s face.
People often think kindness must be backed up financially, which is incorrect. While you can use your finances to be kind, for example, by paying for a stranger’s meal, acts of kindness do not have to be exclusively financial.
In reality, money cannot buy or pay for many things. For example, being present for a person going through a hard time or being a shoulder to lean on during a person’s grief are kind acts that cannot be bought with money.
So, while it can be an added advantage, you do not always have to have money to show kindness. Kindness is free, and you can make it a habit of giving this gift to the people around you as much as possible.
If it is free, then you can give it out. Consider it an investment that will keep touching the lives of people you may never even meet. This way, your gift of kindness will get to places you’ve never been.
4. It Helps To Open Your Mind
Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our life problems and the things happening around us that we forget about other people. Unfortunately, being unkind can make you even more stuck in your world.
Being kind, however, can be that antidote that you need to open your mind and see the bigger picture. Showing kindness helps you realize that you may have problems, but you can always come out of your bubble to help someone else with their problems.
That promotes individual selflessness and opens your mind to how minor your problems can be in relation to other people’s suffering.
This is not to undermine whatever you may be going through but to let you know that no matter what you’re going through, there will always be an opportunity to show kindness to the next person.
When you’re kind to other people, you get to see how close-minded you may have been about certain issues in your life. On the other hand, you get to see how life is quite simple, and we sometimes complicate things unintentionally.
So, if you’re experiencing a setback or any issues in your life, the solution could be to stop thinking about your problems for a moment and tend to another person’s needs by showing them kindness. Try practicing kindness if you need to ‘get out of your head’ for a moment.
5. Kindness Changes Lives
Have you ever been having a horrible day, and someone kindly allowed you to get in front of them in a queue, bought you lunch or maybe just complimented your hair or looks?
It brightens your day, and things suddenly don’t seem as bad as they looked before! This is why the random act of kindness is important; the fact that someone can show kindness to you without expecting anything in return shows that they care about your well-being.
On the part of the one who shows kindness, your kind deeds will often help restore people’s faith in the world. Many people believe that good people don’t exist anymore and that if they did exist, they aren’t a lot in the world.
By showing kindness to as many people as possible, you are restoring the faith of many people in our shared humanity and inspiring them to show kindness to others too!
You’re making people realize that there is still kindness and hope in this world and that we all have a part to play in sharing it.
This doesn’t only change the lives of the one being kind and the person that received kindness; this changes the world for the better!
6. Kindness Often Attracts Kindness In Return
Showing kindness to other people also positions you to receive kindness. For example, people with a reputation for being kind and caring often have people around them who want to show them the same care they usually give.
The reason for this is simple; kindness attracts kindness! If you doubt this, try out this little experiment – practice showing kindness to people around you or even people you don’t know. You will see that people will also start to be kind to you!
One good turn always deserves another good turn, and this is what happens when you make it a habit always to show kindness to others. Kindness will never go out of style.
Even when it seems like it is not appreciated, it remains a good value that will add color to the life of the kind person and the person who receives kindness.
However, remember that you’re not showing kindness simply because you want to be shown kindness in return. No. Receiving kindness from others is one of the many benefits of showing kindness to others, but it is not the primary motivation.
The primary motivation for showing kindness is that it is a human thing to do, and we should all do it.
7. It Brings Meaning To Your Life
It is such a beautiful privilege to put a smile on another person’s face, make your neighbor’s smile brighter, or assist a stranger in need.
A huge reason why kindness is important is its impact on the life of the kind person – it brings meaning to your life! Your life becomes more meaningful when you habitually show kindness to the people around you, even in the littlest ways possible.
You will realize that your existence can be a blessing to others and that consciousness makes your life more purposeful. Spreading kindness elevates your life from being bland to being colorful.
Being kind requires a lot of courage and the strength to look beyond your needs, even when they are relevant, to take care of somebody else’s needs.
A life dedicated to serving others is characterized by an optimistic attitude that helps you always see the good in every situation. It boosts your optimism, happiness, self-confidence, and mental health and reduces stress.
You tend to have a healthier and happier life when you often show kindness to others; this is why kindness is important too. All these benefits make your life meaningful and help you to live a more satisfying and purposeful life.
8. It Builds A Network Of Positive People Around You
Have you ever heard the saying, ‘ good people know good people who know other good people?’ It communicates the power and beauty of positive associations.
Birds of the same feather flock together; when you form the habit of genuine kindness, you will attract similar people around you because people are often attracted to people who share similar values, virtues or goals with them.
For example, I love to read, and whenever I find someone who loves to read as much as I do, I become fond of them and want to form an acquaintance. In the same way, showing kindness is a sure way to create a network of positive people around you.
Having people who think positively and are optimistic is a blessing and should be a goal for everyone. Such friends or acquaintances can lift you in difficult times, encourage you whenever you feel low, motivate you to rebuild or start over when needed and be your cheerleaders.
And who doesn’t love cheerleaders? People who are always there to love you and celebrate with you? I know I do! This is another reason why kindness is important; it can bring the best people around you as a support network.
9. It Helps You Live A Full Life
Many people think that living a good life is one where a person has a lot of money and can buy anything they want. Well, I beg to differ. A purposeful and satisfying life is not about money. Instead, it is about living a life of happiness and contentment.
It is about recognizing that life is so much bigger than you. This is why learning kindness is important because it helps you live a full life beyond yourself, a life spent serving others.
Living a full life means living a life where you constantly create a form of value for other people. In this way, showing kindness is highly valuable. It is like giving out a part of yourself to the people you are kind to; those people also do the same when they show kindness to others.
10. It Helps You Gain Clarity
No man is an island. We often like to think that our actions are just ‘our business’ and should not concern anyone else. Sometimes, we may take offence when we are called out because of certain behaviors.
For example, playing loud music that may disturb the neighbors. However, while your actions are performed solely by you, the consequences often affect other people besides you.
When you show kindness to other people, when you are the reason that someone’s frown turns into a smile, it helps you realize just how powerful your actions can be and how they affect other people’s lives.
This gives you so much clarity about life and is a good reason why kindness is important. With this realization, you will become more conscious about being kind and compassionate to others because your actions affect others.
Why Kindness Is Important In The Workplace
Although the workplace can be rigid since professionalism is expected, it should not be an excuse not to show kindness – you should show kindness everywhere.
I know it is commonly said that ‘your colleagues are not your friends’ because of how friendly relationships can quickly be taken for granted within the workplace, but it does not have to translate to unkindness.
Healthy boundaries can be maintained in the workplace while treating your colleagues with respect and care, even when you feel they may not deserve it or if they have wronged or mistreated you before.
Always remember that two wrongs do not make a right. Kindness in your place of work creates a positive work environment, which is why kindness is important in the workplace.
Why Kindness Is Important In Leadership
Leadership is an important responsibility that puts a group of people under the authority of one person who is the leader.
Unfortunately, kindness is often taken for granted in leadership because many people believe that followers or subordinates have a duty or obligation to follow the rules or commands, whether they like it or not.
However, kindness creates a shared vision between leaders and followers. It may be easy to be rude as a leader and order people around, but showing kindness and genuine respect to your subordinates is much more profitable.
It creates a powerful synergy which is essential to create a good workflow between colleagues to achieve the goals they set. This is why kindness is important in leadership.
Quotes On Why Kindness Is Important
Here are some kindness quotes that will help you to show kindness more and remind you of why kindness is important:
1. “Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” – Jackie Chan.
2. “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” – Princess Diana.
3. “Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” – Scott Adams.
4. “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” – Ronald Reagan.
5. “Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” – Charles Glassman.
6. “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
7. “A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.” – John Ruskin.
8. “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” – Bob Kerrey.
9. “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain.
10. “Kindness is like snow- It beautifies everything it covers.” – Kahlil Gibran.
Conclusion
It may seem easier said than done to show others kindness, but it is possible. Let these ten reasons serve as a motivation for you to keep practicing kindness.
It is okay if your kind gesture is rejected; remember that you’re kind because the next person needs it and not because you expect any reward. As always, I will be rooting for you!
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