I recently had a discussion on the topic of karma. As one peer put it, “Karma is not what most people think. It’s not a supernatural force. It simply means that when you do an action, you put the idea into the world and make its repetition more likely.” He gave the example of people waiting in a line. If you cut the line, the idea is now in the world, and more people may cut the line, ultimately resulting in someone cutting you in line one day.
I’d never given Karma much thought, but I suppose I was one who assumed it meant good vibes or bad vibes, and bad things happen to bad people. The idea that every action we each perform causes these “vibes” in the world is a new concept to me, but one that directly relates to our blog post this week (and the topic of tragedy of the commons we discussed this past week).
So what is one 60-second action I think everyone could take each day, that would introduce positive actions, and positive Karma, into the world?
According to urban dictionary, the high five is a “symbol of celebration when something good is said/done. The causes for the call of “HIGH FIVE” can vary from anything as small as finding something cool on the floor to something as big as saving the world from almost certain destruction”.
Psychological research shows that there are five things that can increase happiness, two of which are being optimistic and committing acts of kindness. In a high five, the initiator smiles and holds his hand up, showing his optimism and sense of accomplishment. Then, the recipient has to help the initiator by putting their own hand up, completing the high five. The recipient feels they are helping the initiator, or performing an act of kindness. As a result, both parties of a high five increase their happiness. Additional studies have proven that positive psychology, or repetition of more positive actions, creates lasting happiness.
Humans also subconsciously tend to copy the facial expressions of others. When we form a facial expression, such as smiling, feedback from the movements tells our brain “I must be happy”. By imitating another person’s expressions, you get this same feedback, which provides a window into the person’s feelings. Imitation also usually has the effect of increasing liking. Psychology studies have proven that a subject will rate another as more likable if that person has deliberately imitated the subjects’ movements (Chartrand & Bargh, 1999).
If we all high-fived strangers for a minute each day, we would increase empathy in society and find each other more likable. Thus, the world would be a more understanding and compassionate place, ultimately leading to more agreement and peace.
Even Kid President recommends high fives (#8). So, let’s all high five each other and make the world awesome.