Although J.M. Barrie, the Scottish novelist and dramatist, is most famous for his 1904 play, "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up," his most famous quote comes from his book "The Little White Bird." It was originally written in the novel as, “Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?” despite most often being paraphrased in different forms such as, “Always be a little kinder than necessary.” In today’s popular culture, this quote and its other variations can be found all over social media. People love the idea of spreading a “culture of kindness,” and even connect it with the mentality that everyone is fighting some sort of “battle.” In the wake of terrible tragedies that unfortunately never seem far-removed, our respective battles become intertwined.
Combating the evil in the world with kindness is not at all a new idea. In his 1957 sermon “Loving Your Enemies,” Martin Luther King, Jr. preached about Jesus’ commandment to do just that. It was during this speech that he famously said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Whether our “battles” are caused by uncontrollable forces, such as natural disasters or disease, or by other people with malicious intent, we are seeing more and more that the world can be a dark place. At the same time, these terrible events also showcase the love and compassion that people are capable of. With every tragic headline comes an underlying message: we care about the pain that others are going through.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, there is an even greater desire to reach out and help others, even in very small ways. Simple gestures such as a smile or a compliment can go a long way in the eyes of others. Again, we don’t really know the personal struggles that other people are dealing with; saying hi to a stranger in the elevator might not seem like a big deal to you, but they may have just gotten laid off or be having a terrible day in general. We have the power to dramatically change another person’s mood and possibly their entire day, just by being kind.
There is a great Forbes article from 2011 on “The Untapped Power of Smiling” that describes the many hidden benefits of one of our “most basic, biological expressions.” Smiling is a universal form of communication that not only contributes to our own good mood, but can brighten the moods of others around you, as well! It is estimated that on average more than 30 percent of us smile more than 20 times a day, and less than 14 percent of us smile less than five times a day, with the exception of children, who can smile as many as 400 times a day! Ultrasound technology has also proven that developing babies smile even while in the womb. If you have ever smiled at a stranger and gotten a smile in return, then you have first-hand experience at how powerful this kind gesture can be.
An amazing new app that works to cultivate the “culture of kindness” is called Brighten. The story behind the development of Brighten is the tragic death of the founder’s friend during a rock climbing accident. However, as a testament to the fact that darkness allows love and kindness to shine the brightest, this app was created in response, and its intentions could not be more golden. Amid all of the social media applications that can serve as a platform for cyber-bullying or just meanness in general, Brighten’s sole purpose is perpetuate kindness. With this app, you can send anonymous compliments to your friends through the app or text message. Brighten describes its mission as, “To help people realize how much they’re loved;” this app allows people to spread kindness with some kind words that they may have really needed to hear.
There are numerous ways to be kind during this time of year. Volunteering at a local soup kitchen, donating gifts to needy families (such as the USMCR Toys for Tots campaign), holding food drives, and even sending holiday cards to those in hospitals or deployed overseas. Although World Kindness Day was November 13, there are opportunities to be kinder than necessary, in large and small ways, all year round.
“When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.” – Harold Kushner
