Too kind

I originally thought of calling this piece: ‘Kindness is the New Rock ’n’ Roll’ — but only as a joke. And then I discovered that the rock band Peace have a new album out called Kindness is the New Rock’n’Roll. And they aren’t joking. Actually, it might be more accurate to say that kindness is the new mindfulness; but there’s already an offspring of the two that has been dubbed kindfulness.

Suddenly, kindness is cool. And hot (or so zeitgeist-watchers keep telling me). Look in the self-help or personal-growth section of any book store — or on Amazon — and you will find numerous books with titles such as Kindness: The Little Thing That Matters Most and The Language of Kindness, Christie Watson’s bestselling memoir of her life as a nurse in the NHS.

Newspaper headlines frequently tell us of some new scientific study that proves that kindness can do this or that wonderful thing for you. TED speakers assure us that we can change the world with kindness. So what will you be doing for World Kindness Day (13 November): baking fudge brownies for your Brexit friends — if you still have any?

Who but the most hardcore contrarian could be against kindness? In this post–Brexit Trump era when we all seem so cross with each other and when our political discourse is so combative, surely we need more kindness?

Yes, we do. The trouble is that kindness has been coopted by the personal-growth industry and its gurus, who have repackaged it as a panacea for all our personal problems. Poor health? Troubled marriage? Low-self esteem? Have a cold? A dose of kindness, at least three times a day will do the trick — or so we’re told.