Today, November 13, is World Kindness Day, a day that was first announced on November 13, 1998, by kind-minded organizations from various countries. The goal of the day is to encourage people to do something kind, no matter how small the act may seem. One of the founding groups is the Small Kindness Movement of Japan, which has been promoting kindness for many years. The movement has inspired people to perform acts of kindness, such as a Japanese cab driver who pulled over to clear trash bags off the road to prevent an accident.
The idea of kindness can be simple yet profound. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, a neuro-psychiatrist and mental health advocate in Nigeria, recalls a moment of kindness that changed her life. In 2004, while working in the emergency room at the Lagos State University Teaching hospital, an elderly cleaner gave her a biscuit and a sachet of water when she was exhausted and hungry. Kadiri says that act of kindness reminded her that healing isn't only about medicine, it's about humanity. She believes that people don't just heal in hospitals, they heal in human connections.
An act of kindness can have a ripple effect, inspiring others to pay it forward. Huguette Diakabana, who had to drop out of school at age 10 due to financial constraints, was helped by a mysterious donor who paid her school fees. Years later, Diakabana discovered that it was a school guard who had helped her. She wanted to repay him and launched a scholarship program, which is now part of The Luminous Agency, focusing on digital literacy. Diakabana's story shows that one act of kindness can lead to much more.
Research has shown that kindness can be contagious, spreading through social networks in measurable ways. Dr. Junaid Nabi, a physician-scientist, says that an act of kindness is like dropping a stone that creates expanding ripples. A study on kindness found that when people are kind to someone, they become 25% more likely to help others. The study authors cite examples of "pay it forward" kindness, such as a chain of 226 customers who paid for each other's coffee at a Tim Hortons coffeehouse in Winnipeg, Canada.
Despite the desire to help others, people may sometimes be hesitant to give, even if it's a small amount. Marta Serra-Garcia, a professor of economics and strategy, found that people may prefer to give nothing rather than donate an amount they consider too small. Her study revealed that givers tend to overestimate the minimum amount recipients would consider acceptable. This paradox highlights the complexity of human behavior and the need to understand altruism.
The question of whether kindness is innate or learned is still being explored. Jeff R. Temple, a professor and psychologist, says that kindness is a central thread running through his studies on healthy relationships among adolescents and young adults. His research focuses on teaching adolescents to practice perspective-taking, express care, and recognize the impact of their words and actions. These behavioral expressions of kindness can be learned and developed over time.
As people around the world celebrate World Kindness Day, stories of compassion and generosity serve as a reminder of the power of human connection. From small acts of kindness, such as a biscuit and a sachet of water, to larger efforts, like launching a scholarship program, kindness can change lives and inspire others to do the same. By recognizing and promoting kindness, we can create a ripple effect of compassion and generosity that spreads far and wide.
Key points
- Kindness can be contagious, spreading through social networks in measurable ways.
