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How to Treat People With Kindness In 7 Easy Steps

chalk that says be kind

Do you want to know how to treat people with kindness?

If so, read on because I am going to share with you 7 easy steps that you can implement starting today that will make you a kinder person.

If you are ready to get straight into the content, let’s dive right in!

Step 1: Treat People With Respect

men in the navy

This one is undervalued big time.

Let me explain.

Have you ever seen a big-time celebrity blow off a bunch of fans just because, well, they were just fans?

It happens all of the time.

No wonder a lot of these celebrities have SUPER big egos.

Over time, these celebrities become less liked and people don’t admire them as much as they had in the past. 

As a result, they lose fans and, at times, they lose money.

Not good.

And even in real life.

Have you ever wanted to be with someone who was treating you poorly and who didn’t give consideration to you as a person?

Of course not.

Those people are the toxic ones.

But what about those who actually take into consideration who you are as a person and put themselves in your shoes?

Do you feel hesitant to talk to them?

How do you feel when you are around them?

Exactly.

Respect starts with acknowledging the other person for who they are, what they stand for, and accepting them as genuine human beings who not only don’t mean harm but who can provide value in some capacity.

And by value, I don’t necessarily mean something you typically buy with cash.

In this sense, the other person not abusing your presence is valuable.

If the other person doesn’t abuse your presence, they deserve your respect.

And you should absolutely return the favor and provide them respect as well.

This is the first step towards expressing kindness to others.

Now here’s the other thing you absolutely MUST do.

Step 2: Don’t Criticize Others

gentleman with head down

This is arguably the most abused rule in the book.

Why?

Because the first thing most people will do when they see something they don’t like is say something negative about it and then walk away from it forever.

They all look for the negatives first before finding the positives.

Of course, in some scenarios, seeing the negatives before the positives is a good thing so you know what you are getting into.

But when it comes to judging people and their character, different story.

Criticizing others makes others resent you and it paints you in a bad light.

As a result, people don’t want to associate with you, let alone look at your face.

This is a surefire way to make enemies in a heartbeat.

I for one made this mistake many times and sometimes, I’ve had to pay the price (even though the details are a story for another time; subscribe below with your email for more :)).

It’s simply not in your best interest to say that someone is wrong or to say anything bad about them, whether you are powerful or a guy/gal at the bottom.

You will lose respect in some capacity and, if you are not the one in control in the relationship, take it from me, you will get tossed.

Of course, there are times when you have to give constructive criticism.

If you read on, I’ll teach you how to do just that in this post.

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t badmouth nor should you criticize or complain about anything, regardless of who you are.

It’s just not worth it.

Now, here’s the 3rd thing you must do in order to treat people with kindness.

Step 3: Compliment Others

rose that's wet

This is the very first step in providing feedback to others.

Here’s why:

If you start off with a negative right off the bat, you are making the other person feel bad about themselves. 

That isn’t how anyone likes to feel.

As a result, people start to grow a strong distaste towards you.

It’s a surefire way to make enemies pretty quick.

Now, when you start off with a compliment, you tap into what the person knows is true about themselves that is true.

They automatically feel good about being with you and as a result, they are more likely to pay attention to you.

Then, when you give the critique, they are more likely to listen since they like you.

People listen to those that they like.

They don’t listen to those that they don’t like (unless they absolutely have to listen to that person).

When you critique a person without saying something positive about them first, you automatically make them not like you.

As a result, they don’t listen to you.

And when you are speaking to someone and they don’t listen to you, you might not as well not be there.

This is why it is SO important to compliment the person first before providing any feedback (preferably constructive of course).

And of course, it feels so good to genuinely compliment someone; it’ll make your day as much as it’ll make their day 🙂

So, the bottom line is that you should compliment other people as much as possible without flattery, especially when you have to critique them somehow.

Of course, keep the critique civil, professional, and based on someone’s ability to do a task.

Don’t condescend recipients at all; your reputation will fall off the wayside if you do so.

Now here’s the next thing you must do in order to spread kindness.

Step 4: Be Thankful

blocks that spell out the word thanks

This one is especially important.

Sometimes, we take too many things for granted.

As a result, we become nastier individuals and we don’t genuinely appreciate things that provide us value.

Of course, there are some things that aren’t worth appreciating, which is a discussion for another day.

But, for a lot of things, you should absolutely be thankful for them since they make your life easier and allow for certain things to be made possible.

This is the first step in expressing genuine appreciation, which is key for getting people to like you, respect you, and in spreading kindness to them.

Doing this will put you on a pedestal above others who don’t express genuine appreciation when needed.

As a result, these people might do things for you that you least expect.

So, the next time you look at that plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of you, be thankful for whoever did that. 

It will make everyone’s day brighter.

Now, here is another way to treat people with kindness:

Step 5: Show People Something Great

mountains with the great wall of china

This is critical when it comes to showcasing your knowledge, especially with those who have the potential to buy from you.

Let me explain.

People LOVE finding solutions to their problems without paying a dime.

That’s why many bloggers and YouTubers find success on the internet (aside from some clever promotional tactics).

They provide solutions to people’s problems for free.

As a result, people who come across these folks subscribe to their content and later buy from them.

To prove my point, let me point this out:

If you came across a fantastic resource for, say, cooking a delicious and delectable set of fresh out of the oven Kansas City style baby back ribs with the best sauce on the midwest and warm, delicious, and melt in your mouth Krusteaz cornbread, couldn’t you help but subscribe to that person’s content?

Of course, you can’t help that!

That content was great content and provides terrific value for nothing!

You feel inclined to repay the favor instantly.

You are going to want to hear what that person has to say. 

And if they provide you with enough value, you might just buy whatever it is they are selling given that it solves a problem for you.

Of course, these bloggers and YouTubers don’t just push out content on a whim; it’s very targeted and it isn’t to be “nice.”

However, the premise is the same:

If you give something to someone without expecting anything in return, you will be repaid eventually.

And this is what kindness can do for you.

It can put you in the position to be repaid eventually.

So when you put your best foot forward in anything, be it a job, a relationship, a business, etc., and expect nothing in return, the world will somehow repay you with a kind deed of its own.

So note this when you do anything in life.

Put your best foot forward, do great without expecting anything in return and you’ll be repaid.

Period.

Now, here is the next step towards being kind:

Step 6: Be Honest

dice that spell out imho

This is a no-brainer, but too many people abuse this one big time.

Lying is the forbidden crime you should never commit.

If you lie to anyone at any time, you will suffer a negative consequence somehow.

Why?

Because you spread misinformation, which, newsflash, is EXTREMELY offensive!

Have you ever seen politicians go up on a stage and make these speeches that sometimes make you think “What is wrong with this guy?”

Well, it’s because there IS something wrong with that guy.

It’s because the guy lies his butt off.

Politicians lie for a living.

This is how they get their power and, of course, eventually abuse it.

Now think about this scenario:

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and this person told you one thing, but he did another?

How annoying, right?

If that actually happened to you, definitely share it in the comments below. It’d be interesting to know.

The point is that if you want to have a conversation where a genuine connection happens between you and whoever you are talking to, you must be honest.

It is through this where you all can let your ideas flow and build upon the conversation to reach a desirable ending.

To prove this point, take a look at this article here featuring a study about honest conversations.

According to that article, the study showed that honest conversations result in better outcomes for everyone.

According to the study’s abstract, conversations tend to be more “pleasurable” and do “less relational harm than individuals expect.”

This proves that honest conversations are kind gestures in disguise because here, you are doing someone a deed without expecting to harm them in any way (unless you are paying for the honest conversation with your hard-earned money; ouch for your wallet).

It pays to be honest.

So be it and live it.

Don’t lie.

Now, this next step is one that can impact your life in many ways if you listen to its advice and it’s this: 

Step 7: Read This Book

book on a table

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.

If there is one book you need to read when it comes to dealing with people, this one is it.

It teaches you everything you need to know about treating people with kindness from knowing how to make the other person like you, fundamental techniques in dealing with people, and knowing how to tailor a conversation to another person’s interests.

I’ve personally used this book to resolve problems and to do well in interviews.

It has gone quite a way in making my life easier in those regards.

As for how other people have gotten success with it, well, there’s quite a laundry list of people who have gotten success from the book.

A quick Google search can tell you who raves about the book constantly and what results they’ve gotten.

You’ll be quite pleased with what you see.

I highly suggest picking up a copy of it at your earliest convenience. It will make a tremendous difference in how your interactions with people go if you apply the principles correctly.

I hope you got a lot out of this post and that it inspires you to treat people with kindness every chance that you get. It’ll make your life better in so many ways.

If you got a lot out of this post and you want more posts on how to become more productive so you can reach your full potential and take over the world, subscribe to Join the Island, the world’s greatest blog, below with your email!

New posts will be sent to your inbox the moment the posts are published!

Until next time,

This is Evan signing off.

PS: Comment below with what you got out of the post or how it has made you a kinder person today. It’d be great to know!

Evan Cruz
+ posts

Evan Cruz is the founder of Join the Island, the website committed to helping young adults become massively productive and reach their full potential.

He has been featured on Vox, OnlineU, and UpJourney. He has also a cited human relations expert and college expert.

He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.

Read more about Evan and Join the Island here.

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