No act of kindness, however small, will be a waste of time, in these gestures full of affection and gratitude lies the authentic wisdom that benefits our brains and connects us with others in a dignified and honest way.
This may seem curious, but Charles Darwin already spoke in his studies of the importance of goodness in the human being, according to him, this would be our strongest and most precious instinct and would allow not only the survival of humanity as a species, but of all living beings; however, we do not practice kindness as often as we should.
- Don’t give up.
- Sow kindness in each of your actions.
- Others may not realize it.
- But your mind will always be in tune with your heart.
Goodness has a very specific space in the brain: it shares the same neural mechanisms as empathy, while one identifies needs, the other translates this feeling into a spontaneous and profound act to promote good, offer help and well-being.
This unique mechanism in our brain has a very specific purpose: to make us understand that we are much more connected to each other than alone, an interesting aspect that we want to deepen with you today.
Jerome Kagan, professor of psychology at Harvard, defends the idea that our brains are programmed to practice goodness, it would be a biological inclination, as Charles Darwin said, where love, compassion and care have a very specific purpose: to allow the species to survive.
Does our brain come from the factory? With this program installed we are naturally kind, but we have other biological trends that are also important and unfortunately weigh more on our behavior: anger, jealousy and violence.
Daniel Goleman reminds us that one of the most intense emotions for our brain is compassion, the whole limbic system resonates with various connections when we practice it, hormones like oxytocin are released and suddenly we are inundated with positive emotions such as empathy, reciprocity or expressed the desire to promote good, which ennobles us more as a species.
Kindness is a wonderful thing worth practicing
Kindness to these specialists of human emotions is an inherited instinct that has taught our ancestors that in a hostile environment, not the strongest survives, but a network of support.
So, that emotions are contagious and our mirror neurons allow us to identify each other’s fear, to anticipate a risk or understand that helping is a way to invest in oneself, so that in the future we will also be helped in times. need.
David Keltner, a professor at the University of Berkeley, USA, and director of the “Center for Goodness Research,” explains that the values that underpin our modern societies have completely destroyed our natural tendency to compassion or kindness.
Money itself is an element that individualizes us, separates us and forces us to compete with others. We have lost the unity of the group and the desire to guarantee the good of our fellowmen, because we have become opponents of each other.
So much so that, as Professor Keltner himself explains in books how “Born to Be Good,” richer people tend to be less empathetic.
However, it is interesting to know that compassion and kindness can be trained. Since we are aware that we are a long way from our essence and that we move away from selfishness, materialism or lack of authenticity in our personal relationships, it may be necessary to reflect on the need for change.
According to a study published in the journal Psychological Science, compassionate meditation can prompt adults to reactivate areas of our brain that are asleep or simply unused.
This type of meditation-based exercise, adequate breath control and deeper contact with our emotions generates, according to neurologists, an interesting brain plasticity, relieves stress, brings well-being and inner wealth capable of changing the world.
Kindness is the only investment that never fails.