People Who Are Genuinely Kind Usually Do 10 Things That Earn Life-Long Friends
PBXStudio | Shutterstock It's one thing to be nice to people on a superficial level, but true and genuine kindness is unique, and people can tell the difference. Their sense of kindness relies on respect, both for themselves and for other people.
Being in the presence of a genuinely kind person makes you feel better about yourself, and that's what earns them so many truly devoted life-long friends.
People who are genuinely kind usually do 10 things that earn them life-long friends
1. They offer help without expectations
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A kind person will give you a ride to the airport or pick up groceries when you're sick, and they don't ask for anything in return. They believe in performing random acts of kindness because they know that doing so is part of contributing to their community.
Doing kind things for the people they care about also makes them happy. According to research published by the American Psychological Association, the act of helping others is beneficial to people's health and well-being. People who take part in prosocial behaviors like these are happier and healthier than those who don't.
A genuinely kind person is self-actualized in a way where they understand that being kind helps others just as much as it helps them find their purpose and place in the world. Just don't get it wrong and assume they're suckers who will let people use them. They're good at boundaries, too.
2. They're not judgmental
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Being judgmental is natural, but it's also not good for relationships or even happiness. Kind people do their best to make sure they balance their natural judgment with reminders to be kind and to give people the benefit of the doubt.
Someone who's genuinely kind steers away from judging themselves based on other people's accomplishments, which allows them to show up for others in a way that's wholeheartedly open and accepting.
3. They're consistently compassionate
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Kind people rarely have to force themselves to be compassionate. They treat themselves with kindness and understanding, and that level of self-compassion ripples out so they see other people in the best light possible.
If a friend is going through a hard time, a genuinely kind person will urge them to sit with their more difficult feelings and be gentle with themselves. Their consistent compassion comes from their own sense of self-worth and their belief that everyone holds inherent value.
Genuine kindness goes beyond just saying nice things; it also involves showing up for people when they're at their lowest lows and holding space for them.
4. They value other people's perspectives
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An essential part of being a genuinely kind person comes down to how they see other people's perspectives.
Even if they disagree with someone's values, they still show them basic respect. They understand that everyone's individual life experience is different from the next person's, and they don't measure others based on their own beliefs.
They display extreme open-mindedness, in that they're willing to listen to other people's views and try to see where they're coming from. Their kindness is rooted in the idea that everyone has the right to live by their own morals, as long as those beliefs aren't causing active harm to others.
5. They're reliable
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It may not seem related on the surface, but kindness and reliability go hand-in-hand. See, kind people don't make promises that they can't keep, yet they always follow through on what they say they'll do. Their reliability shows itself in small ways, like sending school supplies to their kid's classroom as they said they would. T
They're also reliable in the big picture, too. As you can imagine, this earns them a ton of friends.
They respect other people, which is where their sense of integrity comes from. They don't show up late or ditch the plans they've made because some other opportunity presented itself to them. They commit to the people they care about and show up for them as needed.
6. They're willing to apologize
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A sign of a genuinely kind person that can't be faked is their willingness to hold themselves accountable when they've hurt someone else and apologize in a truly meaningful way. It's not always easy, but their commitment to being true to their own values demands it.
They know that an apology requires naming your mistake, acknowledging that it wasn't okay without giving excuses or explanations, and stating how your actions impacted the other person. Not everyone has the stomach for this, which is why they stand out.
A true apology requires you to commit to not repeating the mistake, forming a plan for what you'll do differently next time, and then, asking for forgiveness, without the expectation that it will be automatically granted. Does it seem like a lot? Yes, but that level of accountability earns serious trust.
7. They show grace under pressure
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Kind people keep up their kindness, even in high-stress situations. They won't be perfect, of course, but they know their values don't just fly out the window once the pressure is on.
If they're working on a team project at work where the stakes are high, they keep their cool and show that they value their co-workers' well-being over anything else. They don't use external pressures as an excuse to be cruel, which shows just how much they care about other people's well-being.
They're continuously kind and display graciousness, even when their emotions are on high. They have the tools they need to emotionally regulate themselves, which allows them to keep calm and be available for the people around them.
8. They uplift others
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Genuine kindness means more than just showing up for people at their lowest points, it also means being there when they win. A genuinely kind person will celebrate other people's achievements without any hesitation, because they know that one person's success is everyone's success.
They have a positive attitude and they truly want to see the people around them live their best lives. They don't compare what they have to what anyone else has, which is what allows them to uplift others in a completely genuine way.
9. They tell the truth
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Kind people base their relationships on honesty. They tell the truth with care, because they don't want to cause unnecessary harm. They refuse to lie or be dishonest, even about small things that don't seem to matter.
They know that not being truthful only leads to more hurt down the road, so they say what needs to be said, but they do so in an incredibly kind way. They're the friend you rely on to give you straightforward guidance, because you know they won't steer you wrong.
10. They consider other people's needs
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A genuinely kind person is considerate to their core. They take other people's needs into account and base their actions off what's best for everyone. They set clear boundaries that allow them to care for themselves and for others in equal measure.
They don't neglect their own needs in order to serve other people, but they think about how their behavior impacts the people around them. They lead with kindness, both for themselves and for the people they care about.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
