Be kind, for goodness sake. If we treat others with an attitude of goodwill and in good faith, we put positive energy into our world.  It is always possible to assume the best, not the worst, in dealings with others you do not know.  Even if you are wrong in your assessment, you will have tried and that’s important.

Sometimes, we make judgements based on appearance, but that can be deceiving.  Poverty and lack of resources often affect the way one dresses and even the way they behave.  This can cause a person to act defensively or inappropriately.  Passing judgement is not conducive to kindness.

If we take the time to talk to people who are different from us, we can show kindness just by treating them the way we would like to be treated.  Sometimes this means we have to step out of our comfort zone.  If our judgement is wrong, then at least we have tried.  Of course, there are times when talking to a stranger can be a dangerous thing to do.   We must use our best judgement at all times.  If it feels wrong, it usually is.  Be aware of your instincts and intuition.  They exist for good reasons.

There is ample evidence to support the fact that children are inclined to be helpful and altruistic.   Research by Dacher Keltner at the University of California finds that we are hard-wired to be kind.  And kindness can be taught.  That’s why Danish schools decided to introduce mandatory empathy classes in 1993, as a way to teach children aged 6-16 how to be kind. This may be why Denmark is consistently ranked highly as one of the happiest places to live.

Being kind has many benefits to the person exhibiting this behavior.  Choosing to be kind is something we can do for ourselves.  An article entitled “The Art of Kindness” by Steve Siegle L.P.C.,  posted in the Mayo Clinic Health System website states, “Physiologically, kindness can positively change your brain. Being kind boosts serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters in the brain that give you feelings of satisfaction and well-being, and cause the pleasure/reward centers in your brain to light up.”  To me that is more than enough reason to try to be kind.  We can “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”  Dalai Lama