11 Obvious Signs You Have A Golden Heart & The Kindest Soul
morrowlight | Shutterstock You've probably met someone who simply radiates positive energy. The kind of friend or peer who you never have to second-guess. Whose intentions, love, kindness, and joy are impossible to miss or misunderstand. However, if you're that person, you might have trouble realizing it.
These people's personal hobbies and habits often boost personal confidence and well-being. However, research from the Journal of Happiness Studies also found that happy people truly get happier by sharing their kindness with others. Small acts of kindness, words of affirmation, and emotional support are some of the obvious signs someone has a golden heart and the kindest soul, but might be easy to overlook for the person sharing them.
Here are 11 obvious signs you have a golden heart and the kindest soul
1. You give people grace often
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Whether it's someone who's hurt your feelings, a rude service worker, or even a categorically "bad" person, people with golden hearts and kind souls offer them grace. Of course, they're not tolerating bad behavior all the time and overlooking their own well-being to offer people escape routes from accountability, but they're not afraid to look on the bright side.
They know that not everyone's internal struggles and life circumstances are blatantly obvious to others, so they're careful about how they criticize and judge people, especially those they don't know well.
2. You regularly check in on people
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According to a study from the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, relationships aren't just pillars of joy in our lives, but providers for our personal health and well-being. The healthier our relationships are, the healthier and happier we are.
People with good hearts and kind souls often cultivate lots of meaningful relationships, because they put the effort in to make people feel seen, heard, and validated. From checking in on the people they love to regularly offering their support when things are difficult, they don't run from vulnerability and openness.
3. You turn away from gossip
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While some people find a sense of belonging they're missing in other aspects of life by leaning into drama and gossip, if you're immediately uncomfortable when someone's being talked about negatively behind your back, chances are you have a heart of gold.
You're loyal to your people, of course, but you're also careful of the karma that comes from negativity and gossip. You'd prefer to bring up resentment and concerns with a person directly, rather than venting about it with someone else and sabotaging the trust you've worked hard to build.
4. You apologize earnestly
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While some people run from apologies and narcissistically blame-shift when they feel "cornered" or "attacked," if you have a golden heart and the kindest soul, you're no stranger to earnest apologies. Whether you agree with the person you've hurt or not, you're willing to support emotions and grow as a person for the betterment of relationships and connections.
Of course, your apologies aren't self-centered if you have a kind soul, but studies show that people who forgive others and lean into apologies protect their physical health and well-being. They're removing the pent-up annoyance, resentment, or grudges that come from avoidance and instead replacing it with trust, honesty, connection, and accountability.
5. You help strangers often
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While the average person finds it easier and more convenient to avoid strangers who are clearly struggling and need help, if you have a heart of gold, you're often offering small acts of kindness, loving words, and support to people you don't know. Luckily, as a study from Psychological Bulletin explains, it's this kind of casual kindness that truly cultivates a happier life.
From returning shopping carts at the grocery store to talking to a person experiencing homelessness, even when everyone else turns a blind eye, these are some of the obvious signs you have a gold heart and the kindest soul.
6. You remember people's names
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Hearing our own name in conversations and interactions with others often activates a brain reward in our minds in ways that bond us closer with people. That's why it's so important to remember someone's name. It allows them to feel seen and important, even if it takes a little bit more personal effort to remember it.
If you have a kind heart, you do whatever it takes to make people feel seen. From playing "mind games" with yourself to remember people's names to offering undivided attention when someone's speaking to you, you're present with people in a way that's slowly deteriorating in our current culture.
7. You act with integrity
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Even when nobody is watching, people with strong characters and kind hearts still act with integrity. They do the right thing, help people, and offer support, even if they're not getting praise or recognition for doing it. That's the biggest difference between good people and their often-narcissistic counterparts: they do good without expecting anything in return.
Of course, like many of the other signs and habits of a person with a golden heart, acting with integrity is fundamental for boosting happiness and general well-being in life. The more integrity they live with and kindness they share, the more good they have to cultivate, in general.
8. You put a lot of effort into gifts
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While the average person often thinks more about themselves than others, people with a golden heart and a kind soul put a lot of effort into showing up for other people. Whether it's on an emotional level, having deep conversations and actively listening, or physically, by being on time and making their gifts intentional, rather than expensive, they're showing up.
As a study from the University of Arizona explains, the art of giving truly adds value to people's lives. If you can find joy in putting effort into a gift for someone, you're not only creating a stronger relationship and ensuring they feel seen, you're also making yourself feel better.
9. You notice when people feel excluded
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When people feel left out and excluded, they often feel a very real kind of social pain that's similar to the kind they feel when they're physically ill or hurt. It's a powerful feeling to be ostracized, which is why people with good hearts are always on the lookout for someone battling this intense experience.
Not only are they socially aware and able to read the energy of any room they walk into, but these kindhearted people also go out of their way to help make people feel included. They offer them eye contact, thoughtful questions, and bonding body language, even if everyone else is more comfortable overlooking them completely for their own attention.
10. You genuinely celebrate other people
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Even if someone's achieved one of your own life goals or gotten into a great relationship that you've been yearning for, if you have a golden heart, you're not afraid to genuinely celebrate others. You go out of your way to make people feel special, even if it requires a certain level of emotional regulation to manage your own insecurities.
From casual relationships with co-workers to deep partnerships with friends in your personal life, you go out of your way to make people feel special and valued.
11. You treat service workers with respect
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While entitled people tend to treat service workers and waitstaff as "scapegoats" for their own stress, struggles, and emotional dysregulation, as a study from the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology explains, people with kind hearts go out of their way to treat service workers with respect.
From tipping generously to giving grace when they're clearly having a bad day, and even offering attentive body language, these people lead with humanity when they're interacting with someone, regardless of their status, occupation, or relationship.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
