Observation is as important now as it was a thousand years ago. However, we have to do it more quickly and efficiently because we may run into fifty strangers in a day where our ancestors saw only a few.

We often see people distracted while driving (applying makeup, ma...

• Women seem to be affected (or motivated) more than men by the kind behaviour of other people.
• A kind act on the street, or on TV had the same effect on people.
• The kind of kindness witness related to the response of the witness. If the act was praising, for instance, the r...

• Social support was a far greater predictor of happiness than any other factor, more than GPA, income, SAT scores, age, gender or race.
• Surrounded by people, big challenges feel more manageable and small challenges don't even register on the radar.