Kindness as the social bond and the education for the future

Abstract

Kindness studies have been brought to attention and highlighted in new studies in the field of humanities as the central social bond of humanity and much needed for future generations. Being so, an education that reinforces this skill should be prioritized across disciplines and curriculums. In the Imaginable Futures survey conducted worldwide with 313 responders, kindness was mentioned as one of the three most important abilities for the future. Together with the importance of peace education and mental health, kindness needs to be prioritized in education for the future. As the core aspect of social bonds, this skill acquisition requires a new approach to education, rather than the past content acquisition that led school education for so many years. Kindness is also deeply connected to happiness, well-being, empathy, and sociability, and it can generate physical benefits, like low blood pressure, among other physical and mental health bonds. This research concludes that kindness should be implemented as a key educational figure at this critical time of the Anthropocene.

Keywords: Kindness, social bond, skill acquisition, education, future, peace, mental health.