According to the dictionary, kindness is a noble, distinguished or kind action. Therefore, this admirable attribute is related to the ability to practice kindness. It can appear in different ways. In view of this, the researchers from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University went on to claim that cultivating kindness can increase levels of happiness and well-being in everyone. Understand better here.
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Kindness increases the feeling of well-being
Psychology scholars at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University conducted a experiment with some university students, who were given $5 for five days to spend on the same thing always. From that, it was raffled between them what each one would do with the money.
One part would be theirs to spend on themselves, while the other part was to help someone else.
After the days of the experiment, it was found that those who spent on themselves maintained the happiness during the first few days while those who spent on others remained happy throughout the time.
Empathy is key
Therefore, kindness goes beyond benefiting others. By being kind, you will also be doing yourself good. The specialist in Emotional Intelligence and Lifestyle Medicine, Camila Capel, emphasizes the importance of cultivating genuine kindness and states that the first step for this is to practice empathy.
Kindness in early childhood education
Children are like real sponges that absorb everything that is directly or indirectly taught. It is in childhood that they begin to perceive the other with their constructed judgment of what is right or wrong.
Therefore, it is important to cultivate gestures of affection, care and attention with them so that they can feel free to notice your own emotions and to learn to be kind even to yourself. This will make them adults able to understand when there is an imbalance of emotions.
From then on, it is possible that they will end up being kind to other people.
Researcher Camila Capel also states: “The infancy it becomes fertile ground for us to teach the child about being good to himself first. This is the basis for future empathy, which is when she feels so harmonious in herself that she manages to include other people in her life”.