Watch this thoughtful video about the true science of kindness. While you are watching, list all the benefits of kindness mentioned in the video.
The Science Of Kindness
A thoughtful look at the true science of kindness and its benefits.
The Science Of Kindness
A thoughtful look at the true science of kindness and its benefits.
Video Transcript
Sometimes, it's easy to feel like the world's getting harder. But if we look closer...
On the news, on the web, on the street, we're anything but unkind.
Every day, we hear new stories of people trying to make the world a better place. And together, we can make the world that little bit kinder for all of us.
It all starts with just one person. You. The thing about kindness is that it's just about the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it.
And it's a fact, backed by science. Studies have shown that if you perform just one random act of kindness a day, you'll not only reduce your stress, anxiety, and depression, but your body is flooded with the same hormones that make you and the person you've helped calmer, healthier, and happier.
Serotonin, which heals your wounds, helps you relax, and makes you feel good. Endorphins, which reduce pain. And oxytocin, which reduces blood pressure and makes you feel more loving and loved.
You'll both be more energized, feel less aches and pains, more confident, and could even live longer. And if other people see you helping someone else, they'll be filled with those same feel-good hormones, meaning they're significantly more likely to pay it forward.
Like taking that extra moment to hold the elevator for someone. Spotting a coffee for a stranger who's just a few cents short. Giving your neighbor a hand with their groceries. Even just smiling and meaning it.
It doesn't take much, but it can make a huge difference for everyone. Those people you've helped will help other people, and those other people will help even more people. And those random acts of kindness can start a chain reaction that can spread across an entire community, a city, a country, and with enough of us, the world.
Now isn't that the world we all want? And it all starts with one. Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.
Driving Questions
Look at the three Driving Questions below and in your groups, decide which question you would like to answer. Each group can answer the same question or each group can answer different questions. The choice is yours!
- How can we share stories between different generations?
- How can we show kindness to others?
- What can children teach us about life?
Thinking Routine: Same, Different, Connect, Engage
What will your group do or make to answer your Driving Question? Follow the prompts below to draw or write out some ideas with your group. Remember to download or save your work for future use!
Think about your group’s question and how you might want to answer the problem. Contemplate the different perspectives you could use to answer the question. The aim of this exercise is to get you thinking and working together to create ideas. Everything is possible here!
Same: In what ways might someone older and you be similar? In what ways might someone younger and you be similar?
Different: In what ways might someone older and you be different? In what ways might someone younger and you be different?
Connect: In what ways might someone older and you be connected as human beings? In what ways might someone younger and you be connected as human beings?
Engage: What would you like to ask, say, or do with someone older if you had the chance? What would you like to ask, say, or do with someone younger if you had the chance?
Need To Knows
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