Revisiting Roseto and the Importance of Kindness for Success

Abstract

Kindness has been shown to be a vehicle for success in almost all areas, from physical health and well-being to leadership and education. Developing and practising kindness provides many benefits, and yet, despite this, bullying in schools and workplaces remains rampant. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, one in five students in the United States reports being bullied at school.
By exploring various disciplines, including positive psychology, prosocial ability, camaraderie, self-transcendence, and the awareness and acceptance of emotions from the ‘dark side’, this study roposes a Kindness for Success program for educational organisations and workplaces that is based on intrinsic motivation.
The Roseto Effect, a noted study on the population of Roseto, indicated that a cohesive community, readily available in schools and workplaces if implemented, leads to better overall health and wellbeing. This can be applied to everyday experiences. Rather than the distorted camaraderie of bullying, the implementation of positive relationships, kindness, and prosocial behaviour can lead to flourishing, defined in positive psychology as the good life.