Why Kindness is the Most Radical Thing You Can Do Today

  •   Mon, Jun 09 2025
  •   By Delilah Jessica D'Souza

June 9, 2025

I once saw a man at a local chai stall in Mangaluru buy tea for a young boy who was silently sweeping the floor nearby. No words, no selfies, no social media post. Just a quiet moment of noticing someone who usually goes unnoticed.

That small act stuck with me. Not because it was dramatic — but because it wasn’t. And in today’s world, that’s exactly what makes it radical.

We live in a time where kindness isn’t loud. It isn’t trending. It’s not viral. But maybe it should be.

The Myth of "Nice = Weak"

We’ve been conditioned to think that being tough is the only way to succeed — that if you're kind, you’ll be taken for granted, that if you're soft-spoken, you’ll be walked over, and that niceness is a flaw.

As someone who works in spaces like fashion and theatre — where image, confidence, and control matter — I’ve seen this belief up close. You’re told to “walk like you own the room,” to “never let them see you sweat.” But some of the most impactful people I’ve met are the ones who offer a seat when you're overwhelmed backstage, who help you fix your makeup when you're flustered, and who listen without interrupting when you’re falling apart inside.

That’s the thing: kindness isn’t weakness. It’s restraint. It’s intention. It’s choosing care in a world wired for competition.

Real Talk: Why We Need It Now More Than Ever

Look around. People are burnt out before 25. Students are drowning in expectations. Friends are too exhausted to reply. Everyone is posting, but no one’s really present. In this noise, we’re all a bit lonely — even in a crowd.

So when someone slows down just to ask, “How are you, really?” — it hits differently.

We don’t need saviours. We need listeners. We need people who don’t interrupt your silence with advice but simply sit in it with you. We need people who say, “Take your time,” when you stumble — not “Hurry up.”

Kindness Isn’t Always Cute — Sometimes It’s Gritty

Let’s be honest. It’s easy to post a quote about empathy. It’s harder to show up for someone having a mental health breakdown at 2 a.m. It’s easy to write #BeKind in your Instagram bio. It’s harder to forgive someone who hurt you but apologized sincerely. It’s easy to say, “Let’s support each other.” It’s harder to actually clap when someone else gets the opportunity you wanted.

Kindness in theory is easy. In practice, it takes courage — because it means giving even when you don’t feel like it. It means unlearning ego. It means choosing grace over gossip, especially when no one’s watching.

What Radical Kindness Can Actually Look Like

  • Telling your friend you're proud of them — even if you're struggling yourself.
  • Paying your house help a bonus when no one told you to.
  • Standing up against a rude comment — even if it makes you the odd one out.
  • Holding space for a stranger who’s crying, even if it’s uncomfortable.
  • Complimenting someone without needing one back.
  • These aren’t earth-shattering acts — but they are earth-healing ones.

The Ripple Is Real

A friend of mine once told me, “Your one kind message during lockdown kept me from doing something irreversible.” I didn’t even remember sending that message. It was a simple, “Hey, just checking in. You doing okay?” But for her, in that moment, it felt like a lifeline.

That’s what we often forget — we don’t get to measure the full impact of our kindness. It doesn’t always look like applause or hugs or closure. Sometimes, it just silently changes the course of someone’s day — or life.

My Hope for Us

I’m not writing this because I always get it right. I snap. I get impatient. I ghost people. I’m still learning. But I also know how powerful it feels when someone chooses kindness toward me when I least deserve it.

So here’s what I’m learning: kindness doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be real. And if more of us practiced it — not performatively, but consistently — maybe we wouldn’t feel so alone, even in this fast, filtered world.

So go ahead — be the one who stays soft, who texts first, who forgives faster, who shows up. Not because the world deserves it, but because you deserve to live in a world where kindness still exists.

 

 

 

 
By Delilah Jessica D'Souza
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Comment on this article

  • Rita, Germany

    Mon, Jun 09 2025

    Dear Jessica find it extreem good what you said or wrote.In this present world noone is having time to talk ,to ask forget about a chat.Even between couples sometimes I bserve on beach or outings,they dont talk but chat themselves !How sad it is.I remember still in my working circle previously .Since it was very unknown country ,language and all surroundings ,was a simply outsider had to struggle made mistakes ,got from others stampled as a unknown.Still there were one or two on my side to go on.One girl thanked me as I once helped her.I was really in a shock to hear it thanking me?So it is someitmesGood article .specially fitting to new age of Internet or digital world a nice guest of kindness.


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