The Reason Why Kindness Makes Us Happy
Dr Joe Dispenza

I believe a small group of people with compassion and kindness in their hearts can change the world, after all, that’s why we do the work we do.
There’s a simple equation that says when you feel better, you treat other people better, and this produces a ripple effect that spreads out to everyone around you.
One act of kindness is like dropping a pebble in a pond—the ripple spreads out to everyone and everything around you.
The next thing you know, some lily pad in the far corner of the pond gets an uplifting shake and wiggle and it doesn’t know why.

While there is no doubt we are wired for self-preservation, contrary to this fact is the fact that we are also wired to be kind.
Since the dawn of time, our human ancestors have evolved by helping each other out. We have evolved in groups and communities, which can be witnessed at the cellular level, to the cooperation between hunters and gatherers, all the way up to the formation of modern society. The way in which this aspect of evolution works is that cooperative groups and communities with the strongest bonds are more likely to survive long periods of time, so one of the ways you can create strong bonds in a group is to be kind and show compassionate behavior.
When you display kindness or compassion towards someone, the reason why you feel happy is that the bonding act produces a hormone called oxytocin.
Oxytocin is well known for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding, as well as the role it plays in the early stages of intimate and loving relationships. That’s why these types of relationships create monogamy or bonding. It is oxytocin that produces elevated emotions that cause your heart to swell with love and joy (it’s been referred to as the chemical of emotional connection or the bonding hormone). When oxytocin levels are elevated above normal, most people experience intense feelings of love, forgiveness, compassion, joy, wholeness, and empathy—not an inner state you’d probably be willing to trade for something outside of you.
Nature selects the genes that predispose us to want to connect with each other. That’s why we live in groups, so here’s a simple idea to boost your oxytocin levels, and thus your happiness. For the next month or two, choose one day a week to practice five acts of kindness. It doesn’t have to be anything big either—it can be as simple as making some time for someone, demonstrating gratitude, holding the elevator, or helping someone carry their groceries. At the duration, see if you feel any different.
We often think of side effects as negative, but kindness actually has some good side effects.
Simply put, kindness makes us happier, and who doesn’t want more happiness?

Leave a Comment