Joan M. Cook, a trauma psychologist and a professor in the Psychiatry Department at the Yale School of Medicine, shares in a recent TIME magazine article that inspired by their grandfather’s kindness, practices random acts of kindness and has learned about the science behind it.

Prof. Cook explains that research consistently links acts of kindness with greater well-being for both the giver and the recipient. She notes that these benefits appear across cultures and relationships, whether kindness is directed toward close friends and family or strangers, suggesting that the rewards of helping others are deeply rooted in human nature.

Cook cites researcher Oliver Scott Curry, who argues that people are naturally kind under the right circumstances, and psychologist Jonathan Passmore, whose CAKE approach, “consistent acts of kindness and empathy”, encourages people to practice one deliberate kind act each day. Cook emphasizes that kindness can be cultivated through simple, everyday gestures and introduced to children through activities such as kindness walks.

Finally, Cook characterizes kindness as a simple, inexpensive, and widely accessible “win-win.” She observes that people often underestimate how positively their gestures affect others, and argues that even small actions, such as greeting someone warmly, expressing appreciation, helping a stranger, or buying someone a coffee, can enhance emotional well-being for everyone involved.

Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI exploration process. For more information, check out the original article listed below.

Related Resource link

• Doing Random Acts of Kindness Is Good for You | TIME Magazine