5) Kindness is Contagious
When we’re kind, we inspire others to be kind, and studies show that it actually creates a ripple effect that spreads outwards to our friends’ friends’ friends – to 3-degrees of separation. Just as a pebble creates waves when it is dropped in a pond, so acts of kindness ripple outwards touching others’ lives and inspiring kindness everywhere the wave goes.
A study reported than an anonymous 28-year-old person walked into a clinic and donated a kidney. It set off a ‘pay it forward’ type ripple effect, where the spouses or other family members of recipients of a kidney donated one of theirs to someone else in need. The ‘domino effect’, as it was called in the New England Journal of Medicine report, spanned the length and breadth of the United States of America, where 10 people received a new kidney as a consequence of that anonymous donor.
This is fifth posting of sharings from Dr. David R. Hamilton, PhD,'s book , "The Five Side Effects of Kindness", is particularly exciting to me, because I have posted a couple of articles on the same topic: "Are You Contagious?", and "Feelings Are Contagious." It is so satisfying to have Dr. Hamilton say the same thing, and to even use the same word!
To summarize his first four points, he said that doing kindnesses makes us FEEL good; then he described how kindness can cause the release of oxytocin and is good for the heart; Thirdly, he stated that compassion affects the vagus nerve, affecting heart rate and inflammation; and fourthly, he told that we are wired genetically for kindess — that it was a survival thing for our ancestors!
Dr. David R. Hamilton, PhD, published a book in 2017 entitled, "The Five Side Effects of Kindness" He explains how scientific evidence has proven that kindness changes the brain, impacts the heart and immune system, and may even be an antidote to depression. We're actually genetically wired to be kind. He shows that the effects of kindness are felt daily throughout our nervous systems. When we're kind, our bodies are healthiest.
References to all studies can be found in
David R Hamilton, PhD., ‘The Five Side Effects of Kindness‘
(Hay House, February 2017).
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