Reduction of pain, risk of depression or even increased life expectancy… Kindness would only have benefits for our health, but not only. Defined as a “personality trait that primarily involves helping and establishing positive relationships with others”, kindness is (unfortunately) still too often seen as a weakness and can give the impression of being cheated. But according to a study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychologybeing nice would in fact have many virtues for our well-being.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities used data from more than 1.9 million people compiled from more than 3,900 studies to list the many benefits of kindness. And “93% of all variables are correlated with agreeableness in a positive way”according to the study.
Pushing your limits, working in a team, adapting more easily… Eight main advantages linked to this character trait have been revealed.
Only 1% of people are embarrassed by acts of kindness
In August 2021, an online questionnaire called the Kindness Test was created by a team from the University of Sussex to conduct a major psychological survey of what kindness is. More than 60,000 people from 144 different countries responded: while some people are reluctant to perform acts of kindness for fear of being misunderstood, most feel happy, grateful, loved, relieved or even happy after receiving it. . Less than 1% of respondents said they were embarrassed after receiving an act of kindness.
According to this test, just over a quarter of people fear that their kindness is mistaken for weakness. Yet showing kindness can help you feel happier and closer to others, feel like a good person and give meaning to your life. According to the results, the nicest people were also rated as more agreeable, but also more outgoing and open-minded.
Thus, both receiving and giving kindness are associated with a higher level of well-being. So just know how to dose your kindness: if being too nice can make you perform less well at work or in life, the right dose can provide you with overall fulfillment. So make your kindness a strength and a pride and not a weakness.
Sources:
- Agreeableness and its consequences: a quantitative review of meta-analytic findings, Personality and Social PsychologyFebruary 2022
- 8 benefits of being a nice person, Psychology TodayNovember 8, 2022
