In this day and age, we are living in a world that is plagued by unkindness and misunderstandings. Despite globalization, we see people becoming more and more intolerant about other races, castes, creeds, and colors. In fact, the more the population migrates from one part of the world to another, the more the racism they keep facing on a daily basis. Racial and religious persecution is more rampant than ever, and the threat of terrorism looms over everyone’s sky. The importance of kindness today has become more relevant than it ever was at any point in history. In this article, we will try to analyze why it is important to be kind to one another.
Breeds compassion
If you are kind to people around you, you naturally become a lot more compassionate. It is easier for you to understand what others are going through, and you are in a better position to empathize. Kindness brings with it an ability to not be judgmental, which instantly makes you better suited in any social situation. For instance, if you come across someone who is socially awkward in a group setting, you will likely be the one to strike up an even friendship and try to get that person out of their shell, but not out of their comfort zone. You will definitely not be the one to pick on people who are different, because your kindness makes you realize that there is beauty in being different.
Commercial benefits
Kindness is an extremely important trait in any commercial venture. If you are kind to your customers, it will set you apart from the rest, and will give you a kind of customer loyalty no big promotion can give. For instance, if you make an allowance or a special discount for one of your customers in dire need, that will earn you that customer’s loyalty, and they will keep coming back to your store. Similarly, if you are kind to your employees, you will have no problem in retaining them, and that will save you a lot of money and hassle. The more experienced and happy your employees are, the more efficiently your business will be run.
Good for health
Anger, worry, anxiety, and selfishness all contribute considerably to the stress levels that we experience on a daily basis. And it is a well known fact that stress has a direct impact on our well being, leading to a lot of psychosomatic problems. The unhappier we are, the more our skin gets older. Stress and anxiety leads to a prematurely aging skin, an unhealthy heart, and high blood pressure. A little bit if kindness will go a long way in making you feel good each day about yourself, and that in turn will alleviate your stress levels to a considerable degree. Be kind, and you can forget the acidity after a meal, the crows’ feet around your eyes, the worry lines on your forehead, and the constant meditations to keep your blood pressure under check.
Road to friendships
A simple act of kindness can create long term friendships. If you are kind enough to buy a ticket for a stranger on the bus who has lost her purse, you will not only help her out of an immediate financial predicament, you will save her from a lot of embarrassment. Maybe she will be able to attend the very important interview that could make or break her career. Maybe she is going to pay her mother at the hospital a final visit. Whatever the case may be, the bottom line is that you will be doing her an immense favor by buying her the ticket, and you will leave in your wake a grateful heart that will want to stay in touch with you.
Pet loyalty
Kindness to animals earns you a kind of loyalty that is unmatched by anything else. Have you ever brought a pet home from a shelter, or simply fed a stray? It does not even require any material gesture; all you have to do is speak kindly to an animal and stroke its head, and you will have earned a loyalty fiercer than anything you have ever known. Few things will make you as happy and as secure as having a wagging tail accompany you on the lonely stretch of road from your car to the gates of your apartment. If you have a pet you take care of, you will be aware of how secure it feels on silent nights in a lonely apartment.
There is no reason why you should be kind. Be kind not because of karma, not because every unkind act will boomerang back to you. Be kind without hoping for any kindness in return. Instead, be kind because that is the way to be.