Let’s face it: life is hard. Aside from the basic struggles of making money, putting food on the table, paying rent and navigating life’s many obstacles, there are also the more specific challenges of finding out who we are and where we belong in the world. With all that in mind, we also have to deal with the interpersonal challenges of facing other people every day… and that’s not always so easy. On the other hand, when people go out of their way to be truly kind to us, it always makes a huge difference. That’s why when Nicole Cliffe, a writer at Slate, Vulture, ELLE and Catapult, asked people on Twitter what their kindest experiences were, many people replied—and the thread went viral. With no further ado, here are 55 of the kindest things strangers have ever done:
1. The flight attendant who saved the day.
Although babies on airplanes is a hot-button topic for all kinds of different people, it’s arguably the hardest for parents with children. Nobody likes a crying baby on a plane, but it’s still our responsibility to be kind and helpful to the parents when it happens. While the business class passengers weren’t willing to do so, luckily this flight attendant was ready to help out.
Source:
twitter.com/Nicole_Cliffe
2. The whole bookstore who pitched in.
Being LGBTQ in America still comes with its unique challenges, even if the world has become more accepting. As evidence of that, consider this story of a man who called into a bookstore considering self-harm and looking for some support. Fortunately, the entire store was willing to listen.
Source:
twitter.com/TweetChizone
3. This kind-hearted art buyer.
Have you ever been to an auction or an art raffle? If so, you know just how stressful it can be to try to get the paintings you want—especially if you’re a little kid with little control over the proceedings. Fortunately for the person in this story, one man in the crowd was more than ready to show some understanding.
Source:
twitter.com/bagofmoons
4. These bank employees who went the extra mile.
Being alone in a foreign country can be pretty intimidating even under the best circumstances. Still, when we run out of money or something else unexpected happens, we can get very stressed out. Fortunately, sometimes the locals come to our rescue in the most surprising ways.
Source:
twitter.com/AnneLouiseAvery
5. This understanding mariachi band.
No matter what your political views are, we can all agree that the atmosphere in the United States after the 2016 election has been pretty polarizing. Along with that have come increased tensions between various ethnic groups. As this story shows perfectly, a little bit of cultural understanding can go a long way.
Source:
twitter.com/yonitrose
6. Kind strangers on the subway.
Living in a big city means living among all kinds of different cultures. As a result of that, not everybody can always communicate and some people don’t speak the same language. Still, as this story shows, sometimes love and kindness are the only languages we need!
Source:
twitter.com/Nicole_Cliffe
7. This family who all pitched in.
Having any kind of medical emergency can definitely upend a family’s life. Aside from the fears about one’s personal health, there are also a lot of logistical concerns that come with the recovery process. Fortunately, the family in this story all decided to help out as much as they possibly could.
Source:
twitter.com/ManMet80
8. Help from an animal is always welcome too!
Although most of these stories involve kind people pitching in, sometimes it’s an animal who comes to our aid. As it turns out, support animals are ready to pitch in no matter who is in trouble—their training overrides everything else!
Source:
twitter.com/JudgeYouHarshly
9. This Christmas sacrifice by a military husband.
Having family members deployed overseas is a hard emotional task for anyone to go through—and the stakes are even higher around the holidays. Traveling home for Christmas can be stressful no matter what, but when there are travel complications, it makes things even worse. Fortunately, this kind stranger was willing to sacrifice his own trip for this mother’s happiness.
Source:
twitter.com/twoscooters
10. A little kindness towards parents goes a long way.
As we said before, trying to take care of a baby on a plane is quite a task. No matter how irritating an upset baby might be to the other passengers, nobody is feeling the pressure more than the parents themselves. As this elderly couple showed when the flight was over, a little kindness can make all the difference.
Source:
twitter.com/andizeisler
11. For every person who is thoughtless or cruel, there’s another kind one.
In case you didn’t believe us that airplanes were such a point of controversy for parents with little kids, consider this story of someone going out of their way to be mean to a toddler! Fortunately, there was another good samaritan who stepped in to make a positive difference.
Source:
twitter.com/EastBayBruce
12. How many compliments does it take to undo criticism?
Anyone who grew up with tough or critical parents knows just how much it can affect our self-esteem. Comments about our physical appearance can be particularly hard to shake. Fortunately, sometimes a kind stranger with a British accent can turn it all around.
Source:
twitter.com/YesItsNicolaC
13. Sometimes all it takes is some nice words.
Look, we’re not necessarily saying that catcalling is good practice… but if someone is going to catcall at all, we’d like it to be as thoughtful as this construction worker was.
Source:
twitter.com/bananafitz
14. It’s impossible to be mean when there’s a cute dog around.
Leaving your window down in the car leaves the opportunity for other people to communicate with you wide open. Most of the time, people aren’t necessarily looking to be mean… but sometimes women can get harassed that way. Fortunately, this was not one of those times.
Source:
twitter.com/KatieKCMO
15. Love works in strange ways.
Though we take a lot of things for granted in the United States, not all countries experience the same freedoms we do when it comes to what we watch and who we love. As one man’s unusual story in Syria shows, love and kindness can come in many different forms.
Source:
twitter.com/gofornano
16. Aside from just with children, understanding at an airport works wonders.
Most of the time, transfers and refunds at airlines are accomplished at the discretion of the airline workers (and can vary significantly). Although a lot of the official policies on tickets and other vouchers is that they can’t be changed or transfers, sometimes special situations like this one happen—and kindness makes all the difference.
Source:
twitter.com/daniellegee
17. Sometimes you have to be a little tough to be kind.
The worst thing in the world is when a few people who are bigger or stronger gang up on people who are smaller than they are in some way. In those situations, it’s important to call on our bravery and step in whenever possible. And that’s exactly what this dad did.
Source:
twitter.com/rebeccarmix
18. Showing a willingness to listen can make a big difference.
If you travel on public transit very often, you’ve probably seen some of the billboards addressing self-harm and suicide prevention. Although it’s a helpful message for anyone to hear, anyone who truly stops and reads these signs is probably wrestling with something—at least, that’s what the kind man in this story thought.
Source:
twitter.com/ourladyofcoffee
19. Thoughtful teachers can help out a lot, too.
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you’re worried you missing something important? Or a dream where you show up in class with no clothes on? Though it goes without saying, college can be a stressful time—especially if you actually do miss a final! Fortunately for the girl in this story, her TA couldn’t have been more understanding.
Source:
twitter.com/alicia
20. Apparently this is more common than we think…
Like we said: nobody wants to have the experience of missing something important like an exam. And if you do happen to remember and run out the door to make it, you might end up forgetting some things. If you’re lucky, you’ll run into a kind-hearted person in the process!
Source:
twitter.com/amayksimom
21. Ok, only one more of these.
Though there are many ways to avoid the college-related crises that we’ve just outlined, this is one of the more creative ones that we’ve found. Even though this student slept through their exam, the professor went above and beyond to make sure they completed the exam anyway!
Source:
twitter.com/PrettyLivelyLV
22. You never know where kindness is going to come from.
After we go through a serious trauma of any kind, we’re bound to be much more tender and sensitive afterwards for quite some time. The same applies when we’re in new and uncomfortable situations. The man in this story was both, and someone stepped in to help.
Source:
twitter.com/noahreservation
23. More people should be thoughtful like this.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed in a new city. If you’re feeling particularly stressed out or you have a proclivity towards mental health problems in general, getting publicly overwhelmed can even be dangerous at times. Fortunately, sometimes there are people around ready to help out.
Source:
twitter.com/sesmith
24. Every once in a while. the good samaritans we run into might be celebrities!
If we didn’t make it clear by now, the airport is often a prime location for things to go wrong for people. Though it’s great when another passenger or an airline worker helps us out in those situations, sometimes even celebrities will step in! Ok, we know this one is once-in-a-lifetime, but it’s fun to dream.
Source:
twitter.com/lizzieohreally
25. Help from medical professionals can make a huge difference in our lives.
Getting the medical help we need can make all the difference to us in our everyday lives. Still, medical support doesn’t come cheap—and it can sometimes be prohibitively expensive. Although it doesn’t happen too often, having a generous doctor can make all the difference in those situations.
Source:
twitter.com/MatthewWRossi
26. Some strangers will even give you the coats off of their backs.
Though that old saying sounds like a cliché, there’s at least a few stories out there that prove that it’s a real thing! This pregnant woman, for example, learned firsthand just what that saying could mean—and given the situation, we’re guessing she’ll never forget it.
Source:
twitter.com/krausesuzy
27. It’s great when people use their personal connections to help out others.
We’ve all seen at least a few professional-looking businessman at airports or on airplanes. Most of the time, they’re sitting in first class or business class, not doing much interacting with the rest of the people on the plane. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case in this story.
Source:
twitter.com/hayleygrg
28. Aside from the kindness of this story, there’s an important lesson as well!
Having serious car trouble on the highway is probably a nightmare situation for most people—particularly young people who are new to a big city. It’s a good thing that the father in this story could help out. Additionally, we really didn’t know this about AAA memberships!
Source:
twitter.com/laura_nelson
29. The littlest gestures can sometimes make the biggest difference.
Though moving to big cities like New York or Los Angeles comes with the stereotype of people crying on the subway, nobody wants to actually be that stereotype. Still, it ends up happening to a lot of us—and when someone can step in to help, it makes the situation so much better.
Source:
twitter.com/danielleiat
30. Who knew someone could be so nice?
Few things are more stressful (or more embarrassing) than not having enough money to pay for groceries… or for anything else for that matter. Most of the time we have to eat the mistake and head home. Once in a while, though, the people working cut us a much-needed break.
Source:
twitter.com/tamaraneo
31. Paying attention to one’s surroundings can pay huge dividends.
Life is incredibly hectic and it’s nearly impossible to be proactive about everything at all times. Still, paying close attention to one’s surroundings can lead to all kinds of opportunities to step in and help other—just like the mechanic in this story did.
Source:
twitter.com/CJPendragon
32. Some stories show us that surface judgments don’t get us very far, either.
Whether we like it or not, many of us walk around with all kinds of known and unknown stereotypes about others. Riding on the bus or other forms of public transit exposes us to a wider range of people than we might be used to otherwise. And if we’re lucky, we can learn these lessons through kindnesses like the one in this story.
Source:
twitter.com/cathinator
33. If you see someone getting bullied, speak up!
Though it goes without saying, it hurts a lot when we get yelled at or criticized by others, no matter who they are. When that happened to the girl in this story, another group of older girls stepped in and quite literally saved the day.
Source:
twitter.com/'madamradams
34. Support from others can help us in the worst situations.
Although this story begins with a woman on the subway getting assaulted, it ends with justice because of the kindness of the other people who were there when it all happened. Although we can’t always single-handedly save the day, helping in any way we can is always appreciated.
Source:
twitter.com/_allisonk
35. You can make somebody’s day better, no matter who you are.
As it turns out, how much we have or who we are really doesn’t need to play into how nice we are to others. Just because we’re not rich doesn’t mean we can’t contribute. For proof of this, just consider the guy in this story who decided to give a simple compliment!
Source:
twitter.com/zoelouisalewis
36. This one is a little confusing… but hey, we’ll take it.
We can all fall victim to road rage at times. For whatever reason, being safe in our car makes us feel like we have a license to be rude to other people at times! Still, it’s much harder to apologize for something you’ve done wrong in a car—but this man still managed to do so.
Source:
twitter.com/MrPaulBae
37. We all need more confidence boosts like this one.
If you’re in the habit of taking a lot of Lyfts or Ubers, be nice to your drivers! Although it’s a common courtesy just to be nice to other people, sometimes it pays off the other way as well—which is exactly what happened in this story.
Source:
twitter.com/JuliaHass
38. Making someone laugh can turn their whole day around.
We’ve definitely all been through experiences that make us sad and that threaten to ruin our day. The worst thing that can happen in these situations is that we beat ourselves up or that we feel alone. Fortunately, the girl in this story was determined not to let that happen!
Source:
twitter.com/sarahhollowell
39. It doesn’t take all that much to be nice to a stranger.
In our worst moments, all we really want is for someone to reach out and show that they care about us. When the woman in this story missed her flight, that’s exactly what another person did for her—and it has stayed with her ever since.
Source:
twitter.com/rebecca_eh
40. Well played, ma’am. Well played.
Have you ever been in a situation where security guards or police officers are shutting down some kind of public space and you’re on the wrong side of it? Everyone knows just how frustrating these situations can be… and fortunately, one clever woman decided to help a stranger out with that very problem.
Source:
twitter.com/AnAspidistra
41. Being busy doesn’t mean you can’t take a second to help someone out.
In situations dealing with the law or other public officials, it can be hard to make any headway once the officials in charge have made up their minds. Fortunately, there are sometimes witnesses and passersby who can help out.
Source:
twitter.com/ZaciDeets
42. We wish we could all be this lucky…
Although we tend to think of storefronts and the cashiers who work them someone mechanically, the truth is that sometimes people break out of their scripts. In the case of this woman who just needed a little extra help, that’s exactly what happened.
Source:
twitter.com/ShelbyHintze
43. It’s not always life and death—but sometimes it is.
While most of these stories are relatively small stakes, it should go without saying that sometimes the stakes are much higher. Though it might take a little bit of extra courage, we have to call on ourselves not to turn our backs on those who are truly in danger.
Source:
twitter.com/TheWhitneyBrown
44. Sometimes all we need is some human touch.
Having a baby whose life is in danger is one of the most stressful experiences that anyone can go through. Although there may be good medical reasons in some cases to keep babies away from their moms, sometimes all a person needs to get better is a little bit of personal contact.
Source:
twitter.com/HoarseWisperer
45. In the darkest situations, a little bit of kindness can help the most.
Experiencing the death of someone close to us is terribly hard to do, no matter what the circumstances. It gets even worse when those circumstances were more traumatic than usual. Fortunately, the police officer in this story was ready to help out in any small way that he could.
Source:
twitter.com/RealChrisCal
46. Offering a little help in a crisis will go a long, long way.
Is there anything worse than having a time-sensitive crisis and being stuck in an overly-crowded public place? As soon as we start feeling powerless, things can get worse in a hurry—that’s why what the man in this story did was so touching and so helpful.
Source:
twitter.com/dansaltzstein
47. Sometimes you don’t even need a reason to do something kind for someone else.
When we’re walking through places like a grocery store, it’s hard to get a sense of what the people around us are really going through. That’s why what the woman in this story did is so incredible—after all, she had no information to go on and still decided to be as kind as she could!
Source:
twitter.com/ElizaEatonStern
48. Helping people accept your kindness is a form of kindness in itself.
Financial struggles can hit virtually anyone, and when they do, they can make our lives quite a bit harder. Although nobody necessarily feels great about taking charity, a little bit of help can still go a long way. That’s why the way this man decided to help this woman out is so inspiring.
Source:
twitter.com/tiana_smith
49. Sometimes the coincidences in life let us know that we’re on the right track.
Watching something bad happen and having the courage to step in to make it right is often harder than we think. Beyond that, though, it’s even harder to do when you’re young and you’re not sure how to proceed. For those reasons (and for the twist at the end), this story is incredible.
Source:
twitter.com/__anjanette
50. You never know how much what you’re doing is making a difference to other people.
We probably see hundreds of bumper stickers everyday, and plenty of them don’t make any difference to us. In some situations, though, a simple bumper sticker can be a reminder of the goodness of other people—just take this story as proof!
Source:
twitter.com/LouisatheLast
51. There are some situations where we simply have to help out.
Being drugged is an all too real risk for a lot of women out there. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that women can often look out for other women and help prevent or fix these situations. At least, that’s what the brave college girl in this story did.
Source:
twitter.com/shleychupp
52. Now this story is really above and beyond.
We’ve probably all heard a bunch of stories about people who couldn’t make it to the hospital in time and ended up having a baby in a car. Still, how many stories have you heard of civilians noticing this happening and delivering the baby themselves? At least now you’ve heard one!
Source:
twitter.com/LydAlbano
53. I guess eavesdropping isn’t always all that bad…
We’re not saying you should always listen in on other people’s conversations… but if you happen to, and you hear that someone is going through a hard time, there are worse things to do than to offer them a little bit of support. At the very least, it meant a lot to the woman in this story.
Source:
twitter.com/emmabo
54. Be careful what you say to others—it may make a difference to them.
Although most people take a pregnant woman as an open invitation to say whatever they want, touch their belly and so on, the truth is a little more complicated than that. Not everyone has the same boundaries, obviously, but not everyone likes that kind of attention. Sometimes it pays just to have someone say something nice!
Source:
twitter.com/courtenlow
55. Listening to others can actually save someone’s life.
No matter what we’re going through, we all have situations where we’re overcome by stress or sadness and feel like we can’t go on. In those dire circumstances, having someone around who can hear and understand our pain can make all the difference. In this case, it literally saved a woman’s life.
Source:
twitter.com/Shuff154Lea
As these stories pretty clearly show, there are all kinds of ways to be kind to someone else. Although sometimes it’s for things as serious as saving someone’s life, other times it’s simply saying something nice or lending someone a few dollars. No matter what the situation, we hope this list inspires you to spread the positivity around!
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Sources: Some E Cards, Twitter/Nicole_Cliffe