PSYC101 Introduction to Psychology: Acts of Kindness

Project:

Answer:

Introduction

Kindness is a behavior which is noticeable by ethical traits, a pleasing nature, as well as a concern for other people. Kindness is recognized as a virtue, and it is identified as a value in most religions and cultures (Ameli, 2014). Kindness is defined as being “helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped.”  

Acts of Kindness

Kindness is a virtue and someone show not expect something in return (Buggey, 2013). There are countless occasions that I have ever been kind to a person, but I will just mention a few of them in this paper. I believe that kindness is a virtue and it does not need training for someone to be kind to others. Some years back, a bought a Christmas gift to one of the elderly people in my community. The older adult was a woman who was very old, and none of her family members came to visit her not even her children during Christmas day. I took some shopping to her including some clothes and I also included some flowers to show love. I have never seen a happy person ever in my life like that woman. I was sure enough that she felt lonely and sad since no one was concerned about her and what she could eat on Christmas day. Evidently, Christmas is a day to share with anyone, and I am sure I shared even love with that elderly woman. On another occasion, I have ever shown kindness by offering to pay bus fare for a young man who was on a bus, and he did not have enough money in his pocket. The driver was almost getting mad at the young man, and he wanted to throw him out of the bus because he thought he was pretending not to have bus fare. Another act of kindness that I have shown to someone is buying a pair of shoe to a person in the street who seemed to be homeless, and he was just walking barefooted. Again, I have ever helped a mother carrying her baby to open a closed door in some apartment. She was struggling to open, yet she was holding some ice cream in one hand and carrying to baby on the other hand. Last, I have ever checked on someone who was not even a close friend on Mother’s day, and she had just lost her mother in the previous month.

All my acts of kindness have an impact on someone and me. To many, I impact them positively and help them in my occasions out of kindness. To some, I help them when they are in a fix, and they do not know what to do next like the man in the bus who did not have enough bus fare. To me, it inspires me to continue being kind because at the end I receive more than I give at the end of it all. I am sure I do not show kindness and expect something in return because in several occasions I help those individuals who cannot even afford to offer something back. I believe if I was to show kindness to others and expect something in return then that may not be kindness and it could be something else like show off.

Happiness

Research defines happiness as an emotional or mental state of well-being which is defined by pleasant or positive emotions extending from satisfaction to intense joy. Mental states of happiness can also replicate judgments by an individual about their general well-being. A diversity of psychological, biological, religious, economic and philosophical tactics has tried to come up with the meaning of happiness and its sources. Different groups of research which include happiness economics and positive psychology are implementing the method of science to research queries concerning what happiness is and how a person can attain it (Mogilner, Kamvar, & Aaker, 2011). The United Nations acknowledged 20^th of March as the International Day of Happiness so as to identify the significance of well-being and happiness as shared goals. Religious thinkers and philosophers have always defined happiness regarding flourishing in life or having a good life, rather than the emotional part.

According to me, happiness in simply the act of being contented with what a person has and appreciating for having it. I believe that happiness is a cure of very many lifestyle diseases which result from stress and depression leading to hypertension and others diseases. When someone is contented and satisfied with what she or he has, that is a true definition of happiness, and everyone should strive to be happy in life.

Quotation about kindness

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.” Mark Twain

Conclusion

It is true to conclude that it never hurts to be kindness and no one has ever been poor because of giving or helping others. Everyone should strive to have a heart of kindness and show kindness to others. Happiness is a choice in life, and everyone deserves to be happy.

References

Ameli, R. (2014). Loving-kindness. In 25 lessons in mindfulness: Now time for healthy living. (pp. 220–228). Retrieved from https://paloaltou.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2013-12024-025

Buggey, H. (2013). Small acts of kindness. Training Journal, 33–36. Retrieved from https://libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1350472786?accountid=13876%5Cnhttps://bb2sz3ek3z.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/ProQ%3Aabiglobal&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev

Mogilner, C., Kamvar, S. D., & Aaker, J. (2011). The shifting meaning of happiness. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(4), 395-402.