Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

Kindness is so important and I don’t think that people always see it that way. I believe that the world lacks kindness, and that is a problem.

Kindness isn’t just about being kind to others, it’s also about being kind to yourself. Your words and actions mean something, they can make or break someone. It doesn’t take much effort to be kind, it takes seconds. It allows us to connect with people, and build those meaningful relationships.

Why should we be kind?

The world has seen so much heartbreak and pain, many, many lifetimes of it. People want to protect themselves from that pain, so they isolate. When we do that, we lose connection with the people around us, and sometimes ourselves. Kindness is a sign of strength, and it makes the world a better place. If you’re kind, people will be kind to you; it goes with the saying “You get what you give”.

I have a brother, when we were younger we would fight a lot. It was a back-and-forth argument all the time. We heard “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” quite often. That being said, I understand everyone has bad days and that it may be difficult to spread kindness when those days happen. You have to remember that kindness isn’t a feeling, it’s an action.

Kindness is a two-way street, and it strengthens bonds with the people we love. The more you practice it, the easier it gets.

I hope after you read this article you’ll have a better understanding of why kindness is so important. As Harry Styles says, treat people with kindness!

Jordan McDonald is the Vice President at the Her Campus at the IUP chapter. She oversees the editors and the social media team, and works closely with the IUP Her Campus President. Beyond Her Campus, Jordan has done an externship at French Lick Resort for her degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. She is also a member of Eta Sigma Delta, which is a honor society for business students. She is senior at IUP studying Hospitality Management. On top of school and clubs she is in, she works part time. In her free time, Jordan enjoys going to concerts and spending time with her loved ones and her two cats, Pumpkin and Boots. She is a Gilmore Girls fanatic and is a big follower of Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Jordan encourages everyone to treat others with kindness and to treat yourself with the same attitude!