How Kindness Spreads in a Community

A new study finds that when we witness kindness, we're inspired to be kind ourselves

Those who witnessed a kind act were more likely to act more generously themselves afterward, researchers found. Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock

When we see someone being kind or generous, it gives us a warm feeling inside. Researchers call this “moral elevation,” and it not only feels good but inspires us to want to do good ourselves.

But how much does witnessing good affect us—and why? A new analysis of decades of research aimed to find the answers. The results suggest that our acts of kindness and generosity, online or offline, can have meaningful ripple effects in our communities.