On the fourth day of kindness, my neuroscientist gave to me....

An exercise to cultivate curiosity

Empathy is a key part of kindness, the capacity to know how another person feels. Now, we are never going to know exactly how they feel but because we have an amazing system within the brain called the ‘mirror neuron system’, we can get really close.

Due to this system we can read nonverbal cues, facial expressions, understand the tone of voice and what it means, decipher behaviour, a whole host of functions.

When we do not see faces, we cannot learn, we cannot develop empathy better, we are less human. It has a profound effect on our humanity when our mirror neuron systems cannot communicate with each other.

So this day of kindness I would like to you to cultivate curiosity in another person.

Speak to someone, you may know them well, you may not, it does not matter.

Ask them what makes them feel joyful, what makes them angry, what makes them sad, what makes them feel connected.

Really listen to their answers.

Notice their faces.

Watch their body language.

Hear the different tones in their voice.

See how much they love to talk to you.

It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Your biochemistry will be so full of oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.

So will theirs.

Who else could benefit from this? Pass it on to two other people who need kindness.

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”