Humans are generally kind in nature, but what actually defines a kind person? Kindness is a virtue made up of many different personality traits, none of which should ever be taken for granted. Let’s examine 17 of these traits, helping you recognize the kind of people you want to have by your side.
Gentleness
Gentleness can manifest as tenderness in words, character, or action. Kind people are never aggressive or offensive; they recognize that this makes people feel negatively. They always choose to be gentle in their behavior, even maintaining this personality trait in times of conflict.
Authenticity
Kind people will never use their benevolence to gain benefits from other people–they’re just being their authentic selves. A BerkeleyExecEd article revealed that such authenticity attracts trust in one’s character. This explains why people gravitate towards kind people when they wish to talk about something sensitive.
Compassion
To be kind is to be compassionate about the feelings of others. Compassion is how you connect with other people’s struggles and understand their level of emotional pain. As a kind person, you can put yourself in anyone’s shoes and always have a desire to help out in any way you can.
Optimism
Kind people always see the positive side of things, no matter how bad the situation is. They have a lot of hope and love sharing this with others, ensuring no one gives up on their goals or dreams. They push others to see the good in, believe in, and do better for themselves.
Generosity
Kind people love to give to others when they can. It gives them joy to see that they can help someone out by giving them money, time, clothes, or anything of value. What’s more, they give without expecting anything back, and this is what true generosity is all about.
Humility
Kind people have humble characters and never see themselves as better than anyone else. They don’t have huge egos and are never condescending, no matter who they’re dealing with. Humility amplifies tendencies for generosity and compassion, as a study reported in Times Magazine explored.
Avoid Judgment
Humans are complex creatures, and there isn’t always a “black and white” interpretation of actions. This is why kind people will always withhold their judgment of others and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, never trying to find fault in others until proven otherwise.
Open-Mindedness
By understanding people more, kind people are willing to be open-minded about opinions and beliefs that differ from theirs. They are willing to have their minds changed and actively seek out opportunities to learn from different perspectives. This is a constant process that eliminates any form of bias they may have.
Patience
As a person of kindness, you will also tolerate the shortcomings of other people, staying calm when you’re expected to be angry. This will allow you to avoid making impulsive, irrational decisions and remain lenient and compassionate toward the situations of other people.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness has different meanings to different people, but the Mayo Clinic defines it as “an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger.” Kind people always try to demonstrate such leniency, offering forgiveness in place of judgment or punishment, and they will never hold a negative action against someone in the future.
Complimentary
Kind people give praise when it is due and always highlight the positive qualities of everyone they meet. They show others that their positive traits aren’t going unnoticed, whether it’s bodily features like hair and skin or personal qualities such as hard work and perseverance.
Thoughtfulness
Being thoughtful of others even when they aren’t present is a classic that defines kind people. They will always remember what other people like and don’t like and are mindful of these boundaries. They will also go the extra step of offering favors that weren’t asked for, just to spread some joy.
Selflessness
Thanks to their compassion and thoughtfulness, kind people also consider what benefits a group of people as a whole rather than what benefits them personally. Selflessness goes deeper than thoughtfulness, though, as it doesn’t just involve thinking of others but also means placing their needs above their own.
Respectfulness
A kind person also understands that everyone has dignity, which should always be upheld. No matter who they deal with, whether it’s a child at home or a homeless person on the streets, they always treat them with high regard. There’s always respect, even if this isn’t offered back to them.
Appreciation
If you’re a kind person, you’re always appreciative of the little things you get to enjoy. Gifts are never expected but are highly appreciated, and kind gestures mean so much to you. Ultimately, you never feel entitled to more than you get, but any kindness you receive will always be appreciated sincerely and vocally.
Honesty
Kind people are always honest and recognize the consequences of lying. As Brett Beasley and Christopher Adkins told Notre Dame, getting away with smaller lies leads to telling larger lies and kind people want nothing to do with this. They value their honesty greatly and would only lie if it protected a loved one from suffering.
Consistency
Finally, all of these traits that make a person ‘kind’ will be consistently present. It isn’t enough for them to be generous one day but selfish on another; they will be consistent in their compassion, generosity, and all other traits we have discussed today. This consistency is what truly defines genuine kindness.