"Kindness " by Halie M

     When people think of kindness, most of us often think about maybe sitting next to someone lonely at lunch or helping an elderly woman cross the street. Even though those are perfect examples of showing random acts of kindness, some people view kindness as spending a certain amount of money in order to make someone feel happy. Some may even think that just because they did something nice, they will get something out of it. However, not everyone has the capability of spending tons of money, and the key to kindness is to do something that comes from the heart, which leads me to my more descriptive definition of what the word kindness truly means.
     The original definition of the word kindness is ​the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. In my opinion, kindness is the act of doing something considerate, from the heart, and is what leaves an impact on people’s lives no matter how big or small the act ends up being. ​The whole idea of showing kindness does not mean you have to do something major or spend tons of money on something in order to please someone, rather it means to have a good heart and to demonstrate random acts throughout the day. This could be as simple as giving someone a compliment or saying hi to them. Many of us may not think about it, but the simplest things are what could change a person’s attitude for the rest of the day by sharing some positivity. In the article “6 Science-Backed Ways Being Kind Is Good for Your Health” by Maile

Proctor, she states, “Doing nice things for others ​boosts your serotonin​, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of satisfaction and well-being. Like exercise, altruism also releases endorphins, a phenomenon known as a ‘helper’s high.’” This comes to show how important spreading kindness is no matter how a person ends up showing it.
     In today’s society, I would say kindness is still around but not as much as it should be due to the fact that people are becoming more self-absorbed. Have you ever encountered a person who was being rude to you? I know I have multiple times and for a brief moment I do not think about kindness, as it fades away in my mind. Usually when someone is being cruel to you, it is human to either show the rudeness back or ignore the person, wanting nothing to do with them. However, people like me need to be reminded that showing kindness is still relevant to those insolent people.      One person that had always showed kindness was a girl named Rachel Joy Scott. “People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” This quote from Scott shows how no matter what random acts of kindness we choose to do, it will still have an impact on someone else’s life. It is also a great demonstration on how kindness can be contagious and start a chain reaction.
In the end, if only everyone were to understand that kindness does not revolve around money or gifts, and if people were a little less self-absorbed, kindness could come from anyone and become an everyday occurrence. Perhaps it could also lessen the amount of hatred in today’s world.