Everyone grows up with morals, and one moral that is through and through culturally is to be kind. This timeless lesson is installed into our brains when we are little kids and should stick with us as adults. However, it's become more apparent to me as a college student that not everyone understands why kindness is important. So, whether you're a ten-year-old surfing the internet, a mom who is trying to back up your moral points, or a grandparent in need of something to read, please take into consideration these five points on why kindness is important.
1. It's Simply a Good Thing
Like everyone else in the world, you probably hate it when people are rude to you, especially for no apparent reason. Being kind to people, regardless of if you know the person or not, is something that is humane and respectable. Even if you claim to "hate people" you should at least try to be nice to someone every day. Random acts of kindness are some of the most contagious things in the world. Think about it: You hold the door for someone, they'll hold the door for someone else, and so on. How about when you hear of people at a drive-through paying for the customer who is behind them which causes them to pay for the next customer? Chain reactions are real, and kindness is super influential!
2. You'll Make Friends
Everyone in the world deserves a friend, so what better way to gain a friend than by showing someone what an awesome, kind human you are? Kindness is free, plentiful, and highly effective, so literally ANYONE can be kind. Still not sold? Think about this: Would you rather be friends with someone who helps you when you drop your books or someone who merely looks at you scrambling to pick up what you've dropped? On top of this, consider the fact that you're having a bad day already. Wouldn't you want someone to just stop and help you? Of course you would. Be that person!
3. You Never Know Who You're Inspiring
I know that there is someone for everyone to inspire. That being said, why would you want to inspire someone to project negativity? While you may not know who they're inspiring, or haven't met the person yet, there will come a day when someone comes into your life and admires everything about you. To the voluntary jerks who are reading this: get a grip. Everyone can be a decent human being for at least five minutes per day. Besides, once you invest your five minutes of being kind to someone it's almost hard to stop. Kindness exists in all parts of the world, so why not treat it as a universal ordeal?
4. It'll Make You Feel Good
Why do I say it's hard to stop being kind after you start? because being kind makes you feel good! I know that feeling good isn't always easy. You may find it a little difficult to put in the extra effort to make someone's day better by being kind. However, the feeling you get after being kind to someone is honestly worth the effort. Putting a smile on someone's face is priceless. Not to mention, you're also making the other person feel good, too!
5. You'll Make Your Mother Proud
As previously mentioned, your mom or dad or guardian or Ellen Degeneres probably taught you the timeless lesson of "be kind to others". How do you think your mother would feel if she heard that she raised a jerk? Even if your guardian isn't around you all of the time, it would still make them super proud to hear that you're a good seed. So be a good kind seed. If you're not doing it for humanity, do it for your mother.
One of my all time favorite lines is "throw kindness around like confetti". It's not your job to make someone's day a little brighter. Don't feel obligated to be kind to every single person you meet, because:
A. It can be tiring and
B. You're not always going to be treated the same way.
Sometimes, people take kindness with a grain of salt, and that is okay. Always remember that being kind is a good way to live your life. Even if you are the most narcissistic person on the planet, you should learn to acknowledge other people's happiness by committing at least one good deed per day. You honestly never know whose day you're making by holding the door, helping to pick up books, or simply smiling.
