The importance of kindness
BlOG BY ORLA NI BHRIAIN
The many benefits shown from varying perspectives
In the consumer-led world we live in today, kindness is one of the very few things in this life that costs us absolutely nothing. Technologically we have advanced so much in such a short space of time and with that has brought with it our collective addictions not only to our mobile phones but also to social media platforms that include twitter, tik tok, facebook, and instagram. Such platforms have provided us with so many positives in the health and wellness space, like access to hilarious and uplifting images and videos from across the world, recipes for all dietary requirements at our fingertips, and forums and support networks online for people suffering from all manner of physical and mental health conditions.
Sadly, there has also been an incredibly insidious element to our collective love-affair with technology and social media. Digital platforms have created safe places for trolls and bullies to leave derogatory comments and hound people, celebrities and those not in the public eye, for their alleged misdemeanors. In many ways it would be fair to say that social media has taken on a medieval aspect, and taken us back to the days of the stocks and pillory. However, rather than firing rotten vegetables, people are now trading in insults and spitting vitriol, in an unregulated environment, hidden behind their online avatars.
We strongly believe, as a brand and a community, that kindness is everything. We like to bring a sense of kindness into the way we work within our team spread across 7 countries of the globe, the way we treat our customers within our Truth community, and the way we treat the environment. Trent, Truth’s Managing Director, says
“I really try and hire good people, then train them in our business. It is so much easier than training skilled people how to be good people”.
It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world - Dolly Parton
Kindness for health & happiness
A recent study conducted by researchers at Oxford University, examined the impact on people conducting random acts of kindness, across a seven day period [3]. The participants were required to conduct acts of kindness on those around them, including strangers - and the results were resounding, that our acts of kindness most certainly boost our happiness [4]. According to Pshychologytoday.com kindness, ‘can stimulate the release of serotonin and oxytocin which can increase trust, reduce fear and anxiety, and help us read each other’s minds. For the elderly, prosocial behavior can promote longevity. For teenagers, it can boost self-esteem’[5].
A lot of the time acts of kindness are the most simplistic things as we go about our everyday life, from the moment we wake up to the moment we get into bed at night. Our daily interactions create a wealth of opportunities to express kindness to those around us - Oscar Wilde once said ‘“the smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”. It’s also important to remember that none of us are infallible, we are not computer systems programmed to do everything to perfection in code, we are all prone to mistakes - they happen!
Kindness & Leadership
John Couch, Vice President of UX and Design at Hulu, wrote an essay on July 17th, as a reflection upon the current world and political turmoil we face, entitled: Courage and Kindness, in which he said ‘Courage can just be getting out of bed in the morning when all seems lost, courage can be the realization you are in a toxic relationship: to another person, to food, to TV, to social media, to the news, to alcohol, to drugs, to our job. And having the courage to do something about’[1]. Kindness, Couch says ‘ is when you allow someone to express themselves (shouting, crying, or whatever) and you don’t retaliate or worse, try to fix whatever it is in the moment. Kindness is forgiving yourself for messing up. Kindness is forgiving others for being cruel. But, again, doing something about it.[2]’
Kindness and courage are also both fundamental aspects to being a good leader. The leaders who have brought about the greatest societal changes over the past century, and lead by example, are those who we should look to as inspiration on how to lead a fulfilling and wholesome life. At the launch of The Elders on July 18, 2007 Nelson Mandela said ‘I believe that in the end it is kindness and generous accommodation that are the catalysts for real change’ he also said ‘there can be no greater gift than that of giving one's time & energy to help others without expecting anything in return.’ Rabbi and philosopher Abraham Joseph Heschel said ‘when I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.’ .
Kindness & Truth
We have asked a couple of members of our Truth team how they go about implementing kindness into their lives and what kindness means to them:
Trent - Truth's Managing Director
Whenever I used to think about kindness, I would try to recall my kind acts or do one immediately to someone around me - that was self- serving, and not really long lasting. A friend then told me to think of kindness as mindset - it doesn’t have to be conscious actions recorded on a score board. So I now try to ensure that my behaviour template is set to kindness. I try not to be emotional during disagreements, I try to help my friends, my family and my team enjoy their life, and I try to have an awareness of how I can contribute more positively to my community.
However if I do an obvious act of kindness, I’ll still take the Seratonin hit. I love that stuff.
Shani Kaplan - Marketing Manager
I try as hard as I can to bring kindness into every encounter I have, as you truly never know what somebody is going through. I am naturally quite extroverted, curious and open, genuinely getting so much out of speaking to people and giving them the time of day. This is something I learnt from - and admired about - my late father. He was a very successful businessman and despite his busy work stresses, he always made time for anyone- from his family and friends, to his colleagues, down to knowing the entire life story of the local butchers, pharmacists, and just about any other person he came across! He always harped on about the importance of a smile, and a really genuine, “How are you?”. It has really resonated with me.
For me, kindness doesn’t need to be a grand gesture but small acts of warmth from strangers or loved ones. I moved from London back to Sydney very recently - which is no easy feat during COVID-19 - and had an extraordinary amount of support from my Truth team, and help and love from my friends. It made me take a moment of reflection... “what is life, really, without connection?”
Shani Kaplan - Marketing Manager
I try as hard as I can to bring kindness into every encounter I have, as you truly never know what somebody is going through. I am naturally quite extroverted, curious and open, genuinely getting so much out of speaking to people and giving them the time of day. This is something I learnt from - and admired about - my late father. He was a very successful businessman and despite his busy work stresses, he always made time for anyone- from his family and friends, to his colleagues, down to knowing the entire life story of the local butchers, pharmacists, and just about any other person he came across! He always harped on about the importance of a smile, and a really genuine, “How are you?”. It has really resonated with me.
For me, kindness doesn’t need to be a grand gesture but small acts of warmth from strangers or loved ones. I moved from London back to Sydney very recently - which is no easy feat during COVID-19 - and had an extraordinary amount of support from my Truth team, and help and love from my friends. It made me take a moment of reflection... “what is life, really, without connection?”
So, ask yourself today - am I being kind, daily, in the way I am treating others, and just as important - am I being kind in the way I treat myself?
References:
[1] https://www.john-couch.com/blog/creative-rebellion-essays-courage-and-kindness
[2] https://www.john-couch.com/blog/creative-rebellion-essays-courage-and-kindness
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29702043/
[4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/between-cultures/201904/why-choose-kindness