KINDNESS AND FLOURISHING | SEMINAR

This seminar explores the VIA character strength of kindness as a foundational contributor to individual wellbeing, relational quality, and flourishing within university contexts. Kindness is examined not as indiscriminate self-sacrifice, but as the capacity to act with compassion, consideration, and helpful intent while maintaining appropriate boundaries and personal standards. Drawing on evidence from positive psychology and character strengths research, the seminar addresses the optimal use, overuse, and underuse of kindness, highlighting its role in enhancing mental health, strengthening relationships, increasing resilience, and fostering inclusive academic communities. Through reflective exercises, applied examples, and structured self-regulation tools, participants are supported to cultivate kindness toward others and toward themselves in ways that sustain performance, integrity, and long-term flourishing. Learning Outcomes By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: Define kindness as a VIA character strength, distinguishing it from people-pleasing, obligation, or boundary erosion. Explain the psychological and relational benefits of kindness, including its impact on wellbeing, resilience, empathy, and social connection in higher-education settings. Identify patterns of optimal use, overuse, and underuse of kindness, and recognize how each pattern influences academic performance, relationships, and personal wellbeing. Apply kindness intentionally in university contexts, including peer support, group work, leadership, and self-compassion practices. Develop a personalized action plan for practicing kindness toward self and others using reflective tools such as WOOP, while maintaining healthy boundaries and standards.