Emotion: Kindness

When you want to write the emotion kindness, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it. In this article we provide you with inspiration so you can avoid showing not telling and immerse your readers in your story.

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate towards others. It involves showing compassion, empathy, and a willingness to help others without expecting anything in return. Kindness can be expressed through small acts of thoughtfulness, such as offering a listening ear, a helping hand, or a simple smile. It is a powerful emotion that can create positive change in the world, and it is an essential quality for creating well-rounded and relatable characters in creative writing.

Different Types of Kindness

Here are some different types of kindness:

• Genuine kindness: Being genuinely kind to others without expecting anything in return.
• Empathetic kindness: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others, and responding with kindness.
• Self-kindness: Being kind to oneself, treating oneself with compassion and understanding.
• Altruistic kindness: Performing acts of kindness for the benefit of others, without personal gain.
• Random acts of kindness: Spontaneously performing small acts of kindness, such as holding the door open or paying for someone's coffee.
• Tough kindness: Being kind to someone by telling them the truth, even if it may be difficult to hear.
• Forgiving kindness: Showing kindness by forgiving others for their mistakes or wrongdoings.
• Inclusive kindness: Being kind to everyone, regardless of their differences or backgrounds.
• Generous kindness: Showing kindness by giving to others, whether it be time, money, or resources.

Situations Associated with Kindness

Here are some situations where a character might experience the emotion of kindness:

• Witnessing someone in need
• Being helped or shown kindness by someone else
• Feeling empathy towards others
• Recognizing the value of compassion and understanding
• Being inspired by acts of kindness in others
• Wanting to make a positive impact on the world or people around them
• Experiencing a personal transformation or realization that leads to a desire to be kind
• Feeling gratitude for what one has and wanting to pay it forward

Physical Reactions to Kindness

Here are some physical reactions a character experiencing kindness might have:

• Smiling warmly
• Making eye contact
• Softening facial expressions
• Speaking in a gentle tone
• Showing concern for others
• Offering help or support
• Being polite and courteous
• Listening attentively
• Being patient and understanding
• Giving compliments or praise
• Showing gratitude or appreciation
• Making gestures of goodwill (e.g. offering a hug, patting on the back)

Remember that these behaviors may vary depending on cultural norms and individual personalities. However, incorporating these physical signs and behaviors can help bring your kind characters to life and make them more relatable and likable to your readers.

Thoughts Associated with Kindness

Here are some thoughts a character experiencing kindness might have:

• I want to help them, even if it means sacrificing my own time.
• I feel fulfilled when I make others feel good.
• I believe in the power of small acts of kindness to make a big difference.
• I try to see things from the other person's perspective and understand where they're coming from.
• I feel a sense of empathy towards others and their struggles.
• I want to make the world a better place, even if it's just in my own small way.
• I believe that kindness can be contagious and that one act of kindness can inspire many more.
• I try to treat others the way I would want to be treated.
• I feel a sense of joy and warmth when I see someone else's happiness.

Atmosphere of Kindness

Here are some ways that you might reflect the emotion of kindness in the atmosphere of your scene:

• Choose a warm and inviting setting for the scene, such as a cozy cafe or a friend's living room.
• Use soft and gentle language to describe the surroundings, such as "softly lit candles" or "fluffy pillows on the couch."
• Have the characters engage in acts of kindness towards each other, such as offering a comforting hug or sharing a cup of tea.
• Show characters performing acts of kindness towards strangers, such as donating to a charity or volunteering at a local shelter.
• Use imagery that evokes feelings of kindness, such as a rainbow after a rainstorm or a field of flowers in bloom.
• Incorporate small acts of kindness throughout the scene, such as holding a door open for someone or offering a compliment.

Verbs Associated with Kindness

Here are some verbs commonly associated with the emotion of kindness:

• Help
• Comfort
• Encourage
• Support
• Care
• Give
• Share
• Listen
• Empathize
• Compliment
• Smile
• Volunteer
• Assist
• Nourish
• Acknowledge
• Respect
• Understand

Emotions Before Kindness

Here are some emotions that may come before a character experiences kindness:

• Anger
• Frustration
• Resentment
• Bitterness
• Envy
• Sadness
• Loneliness
• Fear

Emotions After Kindness

Here are some emotions that may come after a character experiences kindness:

• Gratitude
• Appreciation
• Love
• Trust
• Loyalty
• Connection
• Warmth
• Comfort
• Happiness

Telling Kindness Examples to Avoid

Here are some examples of telling the emotion kindness in a sentence. You should avoid things like this:

• He was always willing to lend a helping hand.
• She smiled warmly at the stranger.
• They donated a large sum of money to charity.
• He gave up his seat on the bus to an elderly woman.
• She baked cookies for her new neighbors.
• They offered to babysit for their friend's children.
• He complimented her on her outfit.
• She wrote a thoughtful thank-you note.
• They volunteered at the local food bank.

Practical Examples of Showing Kindness

Here are some examples of showing kindness in a sentence:

• The main character offered her umbrella to a stranger caught in the rain.
• Despite being busy, the protagonist stopped to help an elderly person carry groceries to their car.
• The lead character listened attentively and offered words of encouragement to a friend going through a tough time.
• The hero donated money to a charity that supports a cause important to a loved one.

Exercises for Showing Kindness

Here are some writing exercises to practice showing kindness:

• Think of a time when someone showed you kindness. Write a scene in which your character exhibits that same type of kindness towards someone else.
• Write a character who is typically unkind or rude, and put them in a situation where they have to show kindness to someone else. How do they react? What do they learn from the experience?
• Write a scene where your character witnesses someone being unkind to another person. How does your character respond? Do they step in to defend the person being mistreated? Or do they try to diffuse the situation in another way?
• Write a scene where your character is feeling angry or frustrated, but instead of lashing out, they choose to respond with kindness. How does this change the outcome of the situation?
• Write a character who is kind to everyone they meet, even people who don't necessarily deserve it. How does this affect their relationships with others? Do people take advantage of their kindness or do they appreciate it?

Want more help with showing emotion instead of telling? You find more help in our full emotions list.