Kindness Is Good For The Brain

Kindness, or kindness, is not easy to define. The word is related to empathy and solidarity, but it is not limited to these descriptions. It is not just a quality, it is a human value. Being informed and enriched by an ethical decision means that it is more than an ability.

In the dictionary, kindness is defined as the tendency to do good. The problem is that “good” is a relative concept. A more accurate meaning would be that kindness is the ability to feel compassion. In other words, to feel the suffering of others as if it were your own, and to try to solve it.

This beautiful virtue does not only apply to other people. We also express kindness to other living things. It can even apply to things that are not alive, it can be interpreted as a desire to preserve something as it is. This means that we can show kindness to a painting, or a stone in the way.

Kindness is a superior virtue because it involves so many other virtues. Within kindness are love, respect, solidarity, generosity and many others. It involves a remarkable spiritual and mental development. Researchers have also been able to prove, thanks to many studies, that goodness is a traceable ability in the brain. They have shown that it is the basis for a meaningful quality of life.

The brain’s zone of kindness

A group of researchers at the University of Oxford and University College of London identified an area of ​​the brain that appears to be related to friendliness. The group, led by Dr. Patricia Lockwood, worked with a group of volunteers. They asked them to find out which symbols were beneficial to themselves and which were beneficial to other people.

While the volunteers performed their task, their brains were monitored with MRI. The experiment encouraged the subjects to evaluate and appreciate the way the symbols can help other people. They had to decide if each symbol worked only for itself, or if it was also useful for others.

When each volunteer discovered the way the symbol helped others, only one area of ​​the brain was activated. This zone is called the anterior cingulate cortex. Of course, kindness is not just a matter of brain function. We must remember that this amazing organ has an incredible plasticity. Its function is shaped by experience and behavior.

Goodness heals the brain

Neuropsychologist Richard Davidson studied at the University of Wisconsin after a trip to India. In 1992, he met the Dalai Lama, who asked him a question that left a good impression: “I admire your work, but I think you are very focused on stress, anxiety and depression; Have you not thought about focusing your neuroscience studies on kindness, tenderness and compassion? “.

Richard Davidson has conducted a number of studies related to this issue. He showed, for example, that some structures in the brain can change in just two hours. A calm mind gives general well-being. And to have a calm brain, you only need a few hours of meditation. This was scientifically measured in his laboratory.

Similarly, he found that neural circuits of empathy are not the same as those of compassion. To come to compassion (another form of kindness) you must take the path of sensitivity, sympathy and empathy. At the highest level is compassion. Compassion is a step beyond the ability to perceive, feel and understand the suffering of the other person. It involves a call to action when witnessing the suffering of others.

Davidson also discovered that kindness and tenderness increased well-being in different areas of life. In a study of children and adolescents, several cerebral changes were documented as the researchers taught them to be more compassionate and tender. All of them showed improvements in school and their health improved. The ability to be compassionate can be learned. Kindness is the result of a deliberate effort to improve our inner self.