Children's word of the year is a reminder that humans were born to be kind

I’ll never forget when I first met Joanna Lumley, how her natural kindness shone through. As a young lad, I was busy locking this celebrity superstar in a cage for the cameras. She noticed that I’d cut myself and immediately moved to help.

She could have just ignored it, left me to it. But she didn’t. This megastar wanted to help, showing natural kindness. It’s a moment that stayed with me. Her genuineness and empathy shone through. As it has throughout the 35 years since that we’ve worked together to promote kindness to animals. Acts of empathy and kindness, no matter how small, can make such a difference.

With so much going on in the world right now, these natural rays of sunshine, of hope and humanity, are more important than ever. Which is why it’s so encouraging to see that ‘kindness’ has just been chosen by children as the Word of the Year.

Actress Joanna Lumley has taken part in animal rights campaigns and showed her compassionate side when Philip Lymbery accidentally cut himself during one event (Picture: Etienne Ansotte) | AFP via Getty Images

A fundamental aspect of human nature

Of all the words that thousands of young people aged six to 14 could have picked, they plumped for the one that reflects empathy, tolerance, and the need to look after each other. It speaks volumes. At a time of growing anxiety and instability, in which it’s all too easy to think we’re living in a world that doesn’t care, young people are showing the way.

As human beings, we have an inherent capacity for empathy, compassion and altruism, known as ‘natural kindness’. This is not just a learned behaviour but a fundamental aspect of human nature and is believed to have developed as a survival mechanism, fostering cooperation and social bonds within communities.

By helping others, individuals enhance their own chances of survival and well-being, creating a mutually beneficial environment. In short, we were born to be good to each other.

From a psychological perspective, natural kindness is linked to the release of oxytocin and endorphins, neurotransmitters which reduce stress and elevate feelings of happiness. Kindness, therefore, is an important facet of our mental and emotional health.

The chemical responses triggered by acts of kindness reinforce the behaviour, thereby encouraging us to do it again. That’s how, if we let it, kindness can become a habit, requiring less effort to do it. The more we are kind, the easier it is to be so, and the better we feel.

Cost-of-living crisis

Of course, acts of kindness include everyday things like holding a door open for someone, offering a compliment, or giving someone a smile. It could also be sending a handwritten card or taking the time to listen to someone with a kind ear. It can take the form of picking up litter or donating to a foodbank or a charity.

A pioneering example of natural kindness was shown by a school in North Lanarkshire which launched ‘kindness lockers’ in response to the cost-of-living crisis. A discreet helping hand was thereby extended to pupils in need, giving them access to things like warm clothes, snacks or toiletries.

Kindness is a force that naturally increases the happiness and wellbeing of both the giver and the receiver. By nature, we are empathetic and caring towards others.

Yet, there is a great deal around us that drives us away from this natural inclination. We can become blinded to the effects on others, be it of our own kind or of other creatures. We can lose sight of how a single-minded pursuit of economic achievement individually or collectively can have a profound impact on others around us.

Which is why a rediscovery of the power of kindness as part of human nature is so important. To see that doing good in the world means we are doing good to ourselves. There is mutual benefit to be had in putting the humanity back into being human. There is, after all, a reason why taking action to reduce suffering is referred to as being ‘humane’.

Kindness towards animals

In farming, humane practices such as those that are regenerative or organic involve giving animals the conditions they need for their best lives – the ability to roam, to flap their wings or stretch their legs by running and jumping and feeling fresh air and sunshine on their backs.

By doing this and restoring animals to their natural role as part of mixed farming, we also create the conditions for combatting climate change by capturing carbon in the soil.

Driven by approaching things from the starting point of kindness and harmony with nature, these are win-win solutions. They can help bring back wildlife to our countryside, which in turn means that our fields are once again serenaded by the songs of songbirds like skylarks.

Treating animals, both farmed and wild, with compassion and respect, as I covered in depth recently, is the single biggest thing we can do to end global hunger and ensure we can feed everyone today and into the future.

Natural kindness is a fundamental aspect of human nature, deeply rooted in our evolutionary history, psychological make-up, and philosophical beliefs. By embracing it, we can help create a more connected, compassionate world.

In a time of unprecedented global challenges, natural kindness serves as a beacon of hope, reminding us of our shared humanity and the potential for positive change. So, what act of natural kindness will you do today?

Philip Lymbery is chief executive of Compassion in World Farming, president of EuroGroup for Animals, and a UN Food Systems Advisory Board member. His latest book is Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future. Philip is on X/Twitter @philip_ciwf