The kindness boomerang

We live in an era when success at school is defined by many as achieving high marks in exams, or possibly on the sporting field.  We live in a society that boasts “life coaches” to help individuals achieve their personal goals. We live in a time where an unstated belief in “social Darwinism” is rampant - the cream rises to the top, the rest...well, they don’t deserve to be successful.  In short, we live in a society that emphasises individual achievement and success; perhaps this would be more palatable if the meaning of “success” was broadened beyond the limits of economic worth.

However, we rarely hear of the value of simply being a decent person - of helping someone else without  thought for personal gain.  For an antidote to this mode of thinking watch this wonderful video - the Kindness Boomerang.

From an educational view point this video is clearly worth sharing with students - even students from a relatively young age could appreciate this.  Those interested in helping to make the world a nicer place one person at a time (starting with themselves) might be interested in visiting the “Random Acts of Kindness” site for some ideas. This site also has some ideas suitable for using in schools.

This site also has some ideas suitable for using in schools.  Or you might enjoy reading this as an adult - especially if you appreciate the joys of a good coffee.

Teaching students that they can be people of worth regardless of their age (and income or “status” in later life) may just be one of the most important lessons we can teach them. As Martin Luther King is purported to have said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”


Those who enjoyed the video above might also like to view my post “Validate - it’s great”, which features another inspiring video well worth viewing. I challenge you to watch it without smiling...