"Another way of thinking about kindness is as a mental or physical action that has a "warm" component, "directed toward fostering well-being or flourishing" (Hake and Post, 2023). Nguyen and Lee take this a step further, underscoring the need for kindness towards others (co-workers, colleagues, friends, and strangers) to be conditional on kindness towards oneself. They hold that kindness should not be seen as an obligation towards others, as this could result in a source of pressure, stress, or distress,"
"Cash and colleagues (2024) conducted a study about what might help students transition to university life. They found that when their research participants engaged in kind acts for others, as opposed to kind acts just for themselves, they experienced higher well-being. What did acts of kindness look like? Kind acts included simple things like making conversation with a cashier, asking a barista how they are doing, expressing thanks to another driver, yielding or giving way to a car, et cetera."
Acts of kindness toward others strengthen personal well-being and provide social alternatives to individualistic coping strategies. Kindness is voluntary and self-initiated, not requiring a material gift, service, or favor, and can include gestures, greetings, smiles, or tender thoughts performed without expectation of reward. Kindness carries a "warm" component directed toward fostering flourishing, and kindness toward others should be conditional on kindness toward oneself to avoid pressure or distress. Simple low-cost acts—brief conversation, checking on a barista, thanking another driver, yielding in traffic—benefit both giver and receiver and support happiness, resilience, and reduced loneliness.
Read at Psychology Today
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