Sunday, March 23, 2014

Kindness and Cascades of Generosity

"To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor."
― Stacey T. Hunt

In a recent New York Times article, "The Science of 'Paying it Forward,'" two Cornell University researchers shared their latest findings on kindness chains.  They explored the possibility that generosity can become "socially contagious" and cited prior experiments about the ripple effect of kindness.  Their conclusions:  Observing kindness can play a significant role in setting in motion a "cascade of generosity," but personally benefitting from a kind act (such as having the person ahead of you in line pay for your coffee) is what sustains the cascade.

What can each of us do to inspire kindness in others today?

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