Word count- 877, required word count- 700

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and

the blind can see”
- Mark Twain

In todays’ fast paced life, kindness can come off as a

rarity. The perception of the world being an evil and unkind
place strengthens the idea of being self-centred.
Being kind could take as little as two minutes, yet most of
us do not engage in active kindness. It could be because
selfishly, we do not see it benefiting us. But what if we
could prove that kindness is beneficial to us as well?
Would that make people kinder?
I certainly hope so, because an act of kindness is indeed
the best thing you could today and every day.
Being a psychology student, I happened to learn about
many hormones and the way they affect us. One of them
is Dopamine, which is relatively more well known than its
peer; Serotonin. As it turns out, both of them increase
production when you make someone happy, even briefly.
Why?
Because when we take away someone’s pain, and replace
it with happiness, our own mind receives that joy.
‘With what ye measure, it shall be measured to you again.’
According to ‘The Power of the Subconscious Mind’, a
book by Dr. Joseph Murphy, our subconscious is
impersonal and unchanging, and the way we think, feel,
and act toward others, returns at last upon ourselves.

Another selfish reason is plain science; Every action has

an equal and opposite reaction.
The Hindu belief system also calls it ‘Karma’. In other
words, being kind to someone enhances the possibility of
someone being kind to you, as well. It could be immediate,
or it could take ages, but every act of kindness will come
back to you, in one form or the other. So why not be kind
all the time, and receive the collective benefits from
humanity?
The world is competitive and stressful, and not just for us,
but for everyone. So why do we not try to make it a little
easier for someone, if we can? And I, as a firm believer of
karmic affirmations, say that a kind act for someone will
ensure some kindness for you too.

Even with all the selfish reasons to be kind, it is easy to

realize that being kind comes from within. The urge to help
out someone we empathize with is what makes us human.
A fine example of unconditional kindness was exhibited by
my grandmother, who, before every meal, gave a portion
of her meal to stray dogs. She received nothing
materialistic, only the ‘joy of giving.’ This sort of
compassion isn’t as visible today, perhaps due to growing
modernization.

‘Everyone has challenges, many hidden from sight.’

Standing in others’ shoes before being snarky or rude is a
form of kindness as well. It helps us connect with our
human side. Kind people tend to form sincere connections
with people, and for a longer time, as compared to people
who only look out for themselves. The thing is, if we all
cared only for ourselves, we all might end up becoming
losers and loners, and humans - an end state anathema to
human species being social by nature.

An NGO by the name ‘Random Acts’ inspires people to

participate in acts of kindness. This is an amazing attempt
at making our society a better place.
We can do it too, one act at a time. It could be buying
someone a coffee, or making someone laugh when they
are feeling under the weather or a helping hand to the
local grocer’s. We could all be James Harrison, who is one
of the kindest people in the world.
On a darker note, this small initiative would come from
‘priviliged’ people, because if we compare our life to those
living in slums and poverty, there is a stark difference. To
them, an act of kindness would mean a day’s meal or
more. They ​need​ an act of kindness, whereas someone
from a relatively affluent background could live without it.
To pity them is not the answer, but helping out if we can,
in any way possible, would be a proper act of kindness.
Let us celebrate our birthdays with orphaned children, and
increase our empathy for everyone who could not get what
they deserve.

Kindness is contagious, and addicting because once you

get used to making other people happy, it will be difficult to
be a ‘bad’ person, so to say.
If everyone followed this principle, society will not be
deemed as an unkind place anymore. It will be a safe
place, where goodwill could come as second nature.
I am but 16 years old; yet to make a major difference in
this world, but if helping out someone on a bad day has
some effect at all, in bettering the world, then that is a
good enough start point.
To end with, let us ask ourselves, “Was I kind enough
today? If yes, did that make me happier?”

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good

therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to
any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or
neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.”
- Stephan Grellet