Kindness Research & Info

More research and case studies about the impact of kindness and compassion.

Facts on Random Acts of Kindness

Random acts of kindness are a hot topic in science and psychology today. Study after study has proven that compassionate giving and benevolence are not only great for the recipient, but the giver as well. Here are some facts and links for more information:
  • Giving not only makes you feel good, it also makes you stronger.
  • We feel happier when we perform acts of kindness.
  • People who are kind and compassionate are usually the most successful.
  • We increase [children’s] feelings of happiness and well-being, reduce bullying, and improve their friendships by teaching them to be givers of kindness.
  • Random acts of kindness don’t just benefit the ones you gift, but also help your own mental health.
  • When you are grateful and practicing random acts of kindness… the result is inner calm, clarity of thinking and a heart full of love.
  • Physiological benefits [of kindness] include:
    • [Strengthened] immune system
    • Improved Cognitive Performance
    • Increase in Energy
    • Lower Heart Rate
    • Balanced cortisol levels which result in less internal stress
    • More likely to live a longer and more satisfied life
    • Laughter and inner joy resulting in decreased stress hormones; lower blood pressure; diminished pain.
  • When people benefit from kindness they “pay it forward” by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.
  • The flow of good and desirable properties like ideas, love and kindness is required for human social networks to endure, and, in turn, networks [like The Honey Foundation!] are required for such properties to spread.
  • Helping a neighbor, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a ‘helper’s high,’ and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking.
  • Those who spend money on others report much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.
  • The most powerful way to increase your short-term feelings of happiness is to perform random acts of kindness to others.
  • Five [random acts of kindness] in a week will increase your happiness for up to three months.
  • ‘Passing it forward’ is not just good for another, but in the long run benefits everyone around you.

Resource Links

Forget Survival of the Fittest: It is Kindness that Counts

Acts of Kindness: Key to Happiness for Children & Teens

20 Surprising Facts About Happiness By David Weedmark

10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy

'Pay It Forward’ With Kindness Pays Off

Video – The Science of Kindness

An Attitude of Gratitude and Random Acts of Kindness Can Release the Stress in Your Life