Always Choose Kindness: 10 Stories That Prove It’s Always Worth the Effort
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
In today’s world, where self-interest often takes the lead, acts of kindness may occasionally go unnoticed, their true value underestimated. However, there are moments when the practice of compassion exceeds all expectations, yielding extraordinary and unforeseen rewards.
Someone asked on an online forum community, “What is the best thing that has ever happened to you for being nice?” and the community shared some inspiring stories to prove that being nice can pay off.
1. First-Class Mentor for a First-Class Seat
One of the users was flying for a job interview from the States to the Middle East. Upon boarding, he found an old man already sitting in his first-class seat. Instead of making a big deal, he gave up his seat and moved to the old man’s seat in economy class.
A man who saw his kind gesture approached him and handed him his business card.
After the interview didn’t work out, he called the businessman he met on the plane. And what happened when he met him in his office? He immediately got hired and his new boss became his life-long mentor as well.
2. An Unexpected Inheritance from a Kind Elderly Neighbor
A person shared the heartwarming story of how she and her husband became friends with an elderly Englishwoman living nearby. When their friend – who had no family – suffered a stroke one day, they decided to visit her as often as possible in the hospital and continued doing so after she returned home.
About a year later, their elderly friend died. Turns out, “after her first stroke, she had contacted her lawyer, changed her will, and left us [the commenter and her husband] everything. Her house, her bank account, everything. We were flabbergasted.”
3. A Medical Student’s Surprising Exam Experience
A commenter told the incredible story of one of her senior medical students.
On the way to his final year university exams, her hardworking student met an old lady who seemed to be in need of some kind of medical assistance. “He decided to take the lady to the hospital where she was diagnosed with acute bronchial asthma.” Then he read the prescription given to the lady and purchased the medicines for her.
When the student finally arrived at the university, he was quite nervous because he didn’t have time to revise for his exam. However, when the teacher distributed the question papers “he was amazed to see the first question – “How will you manage acute bronchial asthma?”
4. From Lost Keys to Long-Lasting Love
Another user said, “I met my husband because I helped him find his keys.”.
As the commenter explained, she was living in the same apartment building with a boy. One day he lost his apartment keys and needed help to find them. She offered her help and after a quick search in his apartment found the lost keys. The next day the boy invited her for dinner, and 6 years later, they were married!
5. The Story of Smiles and a Box of Cookies
Another user greeted the receptionist in her office building with a big smile every single day. What was his reaction? Most of the time, nothing. Sometimes a forceful greeting or a serious face.
After three months of unwavering greetings, he finally greeted her on his own and gave her a box of cookies. He also told her, “You are really very sweet, and I am very happy that you greet me every single day.”.
Ultimately, she and the receptionist started talking more and became good friends.
6. How a Simple Act of Kindness Transformed a Truck Driver’s Life
A person who works as a truck driver wrote that one day he was waiting in line to load his truck when another driver who was in a hurry asked him if he could pass in front of him in the line. After giving it a quick thought he decided to let the other driver pass.
“He [the other driver] then told me that he’d just bought another truck and asked me if I would drive it. He offered me much more money than my current employer, so I accepted. That was 15 years ago… and I’m still working for him.”
7. Extraordinary Reward for Holding the Door Open
One user said, “Once in Reno I held a door open for an older couple who was entering a casino… it was only a random act of kindness really, I thought nothing of it and I like to do those simple little nice things to people. But the couple I held the door open for, the husband gave me money… I’m talking a lot of money… He gave me $3600!!! In hundreds!!!”
8. From An Error at the Bank to Winning the Lottery
Someone on his way to a soccer match stopped at the bank. The woman working there made a mistake and gave him too much money. When the man realized the error, returned to the bank and gave the money back.
The commenter further explains what happened after this. “When I got to the game I went to buy a lottery ticket from my usual seller only to find he’d gone as the game was about to kick off. I managed to buy one from another girl just before she left. Half time comes and I win the lottery. Wouldn’t have happened had I not gone and put the bank error right.”
9. A Better Grade Due to Honesty
A comment said “When I was doing my master from university, Once my teacher gave me 15 extra marks in my final exam mistakenly. This addition of marks raise[d] my grade from B to A. When I told my friend she asked me to keep it secret, but I went to my teacher’s room and told him that he mistakenly added 15 marks which raise my grade from B to A. He was astonished and very pleased with my honesty. When our result got published I was still having the Grade A in that course.”
10. A New Passport in Only 6 Hours
One user shared with the community how he got a new passport in only 6 hours thanks to his good manners.
In 2001, he went to ask for an expedited passport at the Chicago passport office as he urgently wanted to travel to Taiwan. The entire time he was very polite and used words like “please” and “thank you.” Even the clerk was impressed by his politeness and told him that he should thank his mother for teaching him manners. Then she informed him that he can come back in 6 hours to pick up his new passport.
Nostalgia for the Good Old Days: 22 Things Boomers Got Right That We Need More Of Today
Have you ever cast your eyes upon the world and longed for a journey back to the year 1946? The saying “old is gold” finds special resonance with the baby boomer generation. Age brings along a constant companion in the form of wisdom, and in our present era, there exists a treasure trove of knowledge waiting to be gathered from the Baby Boomers and the older generations, who have traversed the entire spectrum of life’s experiences.
Nostalgia for the Good Old Days: 22 Things Boomers Got Right That We Need More Of Today
28 Phrases That Instantly Make People Stop Listening to What You Have to Say
Some words wield such power that they have the ability to swiftly erode the credibility of the speaker, a notion that strikes a chord within the online forum community. In a recent discussion, a forum member presented a question that sparked contemplation: “Are there particular words, the mere utterance of which compels you to disregard everything else a person conveys?”
28 Phrases That Instantly Make People Stop Listening to What You Have to Say
20 Hurtful Words Parents Often Say That Affect a Child’s Development
Countless adults sitting in a therapist’s office today are grappling with the lasting impact of words spoken by their parents during childhood. Regardless of how you perceive yourself, in your child’s eyes, you are nothing short of the most remarkable thing to happen to them since “skip intro.” This underscores the critical importance of being mindful of what you say to your children, as your words become the small but influential voice in their developing minds.
20 Hurtful Words Parents Often Say That Affect a Child’s Development
25 Ridiculous Things Americans Have Actually Said to Foreigners While Abroad
Setting off on an expatriate journey in an unfamiliar land is an adventure brimming with excitement, perplexity, and occasionally, sheer exasperation. As you dive into the customs and quirks of a foreign culture, certain encounters may morph into amusingly vexing anecdotes along the path.
25 Ridiculous Things Americans Have Actually Said to Foreigners While Abroad
How to Embrace Your Mom Bod Once and For All
The Mom Bod celebrates the beauty in motherhood and highlights the changes that come with it. This article will explore why this trend is gaining popularity, its implications for body positivity, and how moms can embrace their new figures.
