Editorial: Holidays bring people together in the spirit of kindness

Mother Nature has designed our brains to take care of each other for the survival of our species.

Editorial is the opinion of Gilroy Life

Everyone knows the story of how the miserly Scrooge transformed into a kinder (and happier) man after the visitation of three ghosts one Christmas Eve night. Since it was first published in 1843, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has served to remind us of the importance of compassion.

There’s science in the story. People who study how the mind works have found individuals who perform one genuine random act of kindness a day significantly reduce their stress, anxiety and depression. That act floods their body with a cocktail of hormones — serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin — to help them be calmer, healthier and happier.

We are built to be kind. Mother Nature has designed our brains to take care of each other for the survival of our species. We’re chemically wired by evolution for compassion. The more oxytocin we have in our bodies, the more generous we become.

Why are people so frequently doing good and being generous? Scientists theorize we like the pleasant feeling that comes from oxytocin — “the love drug.” And an act of kindness makes the recipient feel pleasant as well, encouraging them to later down the line do a good deed for someone else. Even simply watching someone do a nice act for another person can produce the good vibes associated with compassion.

It’s not hard to be kind. And the rewards of compassion far outweigh acts of selfishness. Empathy connects us as human beings. Scientists have found showing genuine kindness to others can make us look younger and feel more energetic. It can improve our vitality and make us live longer. A kind gesture can be as simple as holding a door open for someone or buying a cup of coffee and bagel for a homeless person. It can be giving a smile and a kind word to the courtesy clerk who rings up our food at a grocery store or volunteering in a creek clean-up or other community-benefit activity.

Kindness can also include giving a generous donation to a nonprofit organization that serves the community and increases the quality of life for our local residents. Many of these nonprofits have struggled during COVID-19, so they will truly appreciate your financial support.

The holiday season is associated with doing compassionate actions. Here in South Valley, let us all in the new year resolve to do at least one true act of random kindness a day  — and especially to strangers in need. Each act arising from kind-heartedness will add up to make the world a better place for all.