Small Acts of Kindness Outweigh Self-Care

What’s the best cure for the loneliness epidemic we’re currently facing? Surprisingly, recent psychological research suggests this big problem could be solved by small acts of kindness. The more socially anxious and withdrawn people are, the more they would benefit from doing a simple favor, like helping a neighbor with groceries.

And people of all kinds, lonely or not, who have compassion for others are amply rewarded. A recent study shows that having deep regard for the welfare of others boosts one’s psychological, cognitive, relational, and emotional well being. Caring for others can be a form of self-care. ⁱ

But other-care is supercharged when compassion, or empathy, is combined with careful reasoning. This investigation indicates that helping others becomes fairer and more fruitful when a warm heart partners with a clear head. A loving spirit moves people to give and a wise mind enables their giving to be more generous and far-reaching. ⁱⁱ

i.   Interesting that Christopher Nolan’s film version of the Odyssey calls welcoming hospitality ‘the law of Zeus’; although that’s not a phrase Homer uses. Greek gods like Zeus and Hermes would occasionally disguise themselves as humans to see if people would be hospitable to them. But it was another later figure who said that actually anytime we show hospitality to ‘the least of these’, we show it to Him.

ii.   ‘Welcoming’ was understood in the early church to be a central part of following Jesus. The RULE of St. Benedict says in chapter 53: “Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say ‘I came as a guest, and you received Me…’” Any guest may be the Lord, but the Lord may look very shabby. Sometimes we need to pay close attention…