Many of us grew up believing a soft heart is an easy target. Science says otherwise. In experiments published in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, researchers Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley found that people consistently underestimate how much their random acts of kindness lift others. Goodness travels further than we think. That matters at a time when the U.S. Surgeon General has warned of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Compassion, empathy and connection aren’t luxuries. They are how we build happiness together and make even solitude feel restful instead of empty.