WORLD Kindness Day was celebrated last week – on November 13 to be precise. I only became aware of it after the date had passed but I was quite surprised to discover that we need a special date to remind us to be kind. Surely being kind should be a natural and spontaneous thing and something we shouldn’t really have to think about?
According to research by the Mental Health Foundation, kindness “helps reduce stress and improve our emotional wellbeing.” Of course such findings aren’t particularly groundbreaking – it’s always nice to be nice.
Read more: Mental health waiting lists up 30% over psychiatry workforce crisis
There was kindness in abundance last week when comedian and presenter Paddy McGuinness completed his 300-mile cycle on a Raleigh Chopper, raising over £8 million for Children in Need. Regular updates on his progress featured a tearful and emotional McGuinness expressing his gratitude for both the generous donations and the hospitality and support he received throughout the challenge.
However, the total amounts raised in recent years - around £39 million in 2024 - although still very impressive, have dwindled considerably from the peak record breaking totals of 2016/2017 which reached the £60 million mark. Does this reflect a general decline in generosity or is it simply the impact of the current economic crisis?
There’s certainly a lack of kindness on social media these days. Much has been written about the excessive and relentless trolling and abuse which frequently occurs on the X platform prompting many to seek greener pastures – or in this case Bluesky, the new social media platform created by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. As X is owned by Elon Musk, an ardent Trump supporter, it appears that Bluesky is currently attracting millions of new followers keen to abandon the ‘toxic’ X.
Read more: What is Bluesky and why are people leaving X to sign up?
The impact of this constant trolling and online abuse cannot be underestimated – it is this which is widely believed to have contributed to the death of Caroline Flack. In December 2019 she posted “In a world where you can be anything, be kind” before taking her own life just weeks later.
Additionally this type of digital torment no longer just applies to the stars themselves - as prolific British actor Hugh Grant pointed out in a recent post lambasting the Mail Online for allowing readers to “tear (his) wife to pieces” in their comment section. He added; “I think it may be in some way the business model of the Mail Online. Monetising unkindness.”
So, I feel it’s important to celebrate the people out there who clearly don’t need the prompt of a ‘World Kindness Day’. For example, those in the Simon Community whom I have written about previously, those currently organising shoe box collections and present appeals for vulnerable and disadvantaged children or those giving to foodbanks or looking out for elderly neighbours as temperatures plummet below freezing.
But also a lovely and kind lady whom I met on my daily commute to work and who invited me to join her for a bingo night last week. I’ll be honest, I didn’t anticipate sitting in The Maverick (a decidedly flamboyant bar in Belfast’s ‘rainbow quarter’) whilst drag queen Glitzy Glamour tried her hand as a bingo caller… but that’s exactly how I spent last Wednesday evening and all in the name of charity – who doesn’t enjoy that warm, fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the sake of others?
So let’s hope, with the season of goodwill fast approaching, people will be more conscious of how random and meaningful acts of kindness can positively impact people’s lives – it’s certainly not a new thing. As far back as 620-560 BC, Aesop – yes he of fables fame – advised that “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.
