What is ‘kindness’? The quality of being friendly, generous and considerate – essentially the recipe for being a good person. So, in what ways can people be kind?

It is scientifically proven that kindness makes us happier and can help protect us from depression, but how and why? These are a few reasons…

Most of the time pop music might be able to inspire kindness because most of the pop songs are quite positive and it makes people happier.

Kindness has sometimes been considered a weakness in the working world. The key to climbing the corporate ladder is portrayed as having a strong work ethic and emphasis on number-oriented goals, even at the expense of an enjoyable work environment and wellbeing.

In the summer of July 1939, some men met in a wood outside of Warsaw. They were Polish, British and French, and had met to exchange the key to the Enigma code – the complex cipher which the Germans used to transmit their messages during World War II. Solving it, they felt, would win the war.

We can be kinder to our planet by trying not to use disposable plastic bottles and trying to reuse plastic bags. We should also try to recycle more and also instead of driving, try and use public transport, walk or cycle or anything else.

Xenia is the Ancient Greek principle of hospitality, a concept far removed from our modern-day standards, but very much necessary in a world in which staying at an inn was fraught with danger of abduction, theft and even murder. Literally ‘guest-friendship’, ξενια is a moral obligation demanding that shelter, gifts, food etc be granted to any stranger who asks for them, regardless of their background.

Kindness is contagious and something that benefits us all. Here are several ways you can show kindness every day.

Inclusivity demonstrates kindness by ensuring that people of all backgrounds and cultures are accepted in society. This makes others feel welcome in the community, in addition to recognising that others’ feelings, values, or opinions are valid.

“No act of kindness,” Aesop reminds us, “no matter how small, is ever wasted.” As a slave and storyteller living in Greece between 620 and 564 BCE, Aesop’s perception of kindness is particularly striking given his circumstances. Harsh living, cruel tasks and no chance of an independent future are hardly prospects conducive to compassion, and yet his reminder comes at a time when Greek philosophers embarked on the process of quantifying kindness. To quantify something, however, one needs a definition and this is much disputed. Google suggests that kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.” However, I believe there are many problems with this definition.

Kindness puts a smile on people’s faces and brightens up their day. Despite the fact that the word ‘kindness’ didn’t emerge until the 14th century, kindness may be the most important evolutionary trait since bipedalism.

The written word is the underlying force of change in our world, silently shaping our lives from cradle to grave. From Austen to Orwell, Darwin to Descartes, the power of the written word to expand our horizons, socially, politically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually provoking the individual, is undeniable.

For over 60 years humans have been exploring the vastness of space, but is this exploration kind to the Earth? This passage will explore whether or not space exploration is kind to the planet by looking at its benefits and disadvantages.

I think kindness matters in music because I think that it is one of the core parts in making a team, an ensemble skill. Kindness breaks down barriers, aids communication and supports excellent relationships.

Euthanasia is an international issue, being a legally accepted procedure in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, yet still a controversy and an illegal act within the UK. Its essential role in medical ethics is always an important topic to consider: is it an act of kindness or is it simply cruel?

When approaching this article I thought about other music articles I have read, with lists of songs that reference joy, cities of the world or times of night. Nearly all of which mainly included songs from eras when I wasn’t alive, let alone knowing the ins and outs of the top 100 charts. So for this article, I have chosen to write about songs that I know best, from an era of music I am very much aware of and interested in. As well as this I am going to navigate through it in the best way I know…

Kindness brings people together and builds stronger teams capable of overcoming challenges/obstacles faster and easier. Promoting kindness at work and at school builds trust and strong bonds amongst friends and colleagues.

Is Elon Musk’s Starlink initiative about kindness or money, power, and control? Starlink is a satellite constellation that aims to deliver global internet coverage. Elon Musk hopes that “Starlink will bring internet access to some 3 billion people who were previously unable to access the internet easily” and it currently provides service in 36 countries. Does this initiative come from the kindness of his heart or a motive to obtain money?

Modern foreign languages: a department that has always been relevant, interesting and evolving. Modern foreign languages are a diverse and exciting area that anyone can be a part of. Another thing that anyone can be part of is kindness.

Some say that kindness is a language, known by humans all over the world and shared without a second thought. Others say that kindness is an obligation to humanity: if we’re not kind, then the entire world may collapse.

We live in a world where disasters are now sadly a common event and not something we only read about in history books. Disasters take many forms, from worldwide pandemics such as Covid-19 to the aftermath of hurricanes, tsunamis and landslides that devastate life and the surrounding communities; terrorist attacks such as 9/11 and wars such as Afghanistan and the current war between Ukraine and Russia. Disasters can also be revealed over time: the recent World Cup highlighted the lack of basic human rights and liberties within many parts of our world through the loss of lives from poor working conditions in building the stadiums. However, if you look beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster, there will always be stories of kindness and how the touch of human kindness provides strength and the ability for the human race to survive.

Languages: it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what one is, or to describe exactly what suffices as a language. We can simplify them into being some form, which communicates information from one person to another. However, the way in which different languages can be understood varies from form to form.

Sport is all about pushing yourself. You always have to find flaws, train as much as possible, and try to be perfect, otherwise you are failing. After all, no pain no gain, right? In my experience, this is wrong. Of course sport is about doing your best, but it doesn’t always have to be painful. In fact, one of the key lessons I have learned through sport is how to let kindness and compassion towards myself guide my progress as an athlete.

Kindness is something we can’t see. It goes into the body. Like if someone is hurt you could pick them up and you could tell a teacher and if someone is stuck you can help them. I think it floats around like a red balloon, it bounces from one to another, it floats like a butterfly and that is what I think kindness is.

The definition of the word ‘Kindness’, according to Oxford Languages’ Google dictionary, is ‘The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate’. Anything that is kind must contain this essential kindness which leads to my first question: what does kindness look like?

Though there have been many extraordinary stories told, there are a few that really catch the eye. A story that I find extremely brave and kind is that of Araminta Ross, who we now know as Harriet Tubman. Harriet was born in 1822 to an enslaved family in Maryland, USA. She and her family were ‘owned’ by the Brodess family. During this time people thought that enslaved people were property they owned.

The question ‘Why are some people kinder than others’ is a widely debated topic, and a very interesting one. This question has been the driving force behind many scientific studies, and in this article I hope to debunk some myths surrounding this.

Art serves as a companion of comfort and distraction, a form of communication everyone can express. Art doesn’t necessarily require a particular skill: in fact it’s something anyone can participate in.

Is it more terrifying to be alone in this universe, or to be surrounded by extraterrestrial life? This very question and its branches has been perplexing both physicists and psychologists for many years. When most people think of extraterrestrial life, they think of little green men. Although this statement is highly ambiguous, we humans have hammered this image into our heads.