OnePoll conducted a study commissioned by SmashUps by American Greetings that found that Americans did approximately 25,000 good deeds throughout their lifetime. The poll of 2000 Americans found that respondents did about six thoughtful things in a day.
Moreover, 8 in 10 participants believed in returning kindness to those who have done thoughtful gestures for them. For about 58% of the respondents, these include being introduced to a date. Another 52% have returned friendly gestures to someone who’d helped them study.
The respondents also listed the excellent deeds people had done for them. Some had had people offering to watch their dog despite allergies. Others had received gifts from their children, while one participant stated that a stranger had paid for their meal.
Researchers found that some friendly gestures were underrated. One gesture that respondents found most underrated was saying thank you (49%). Despite this shortcoming, Americans had many ways of showing thoughtfulness.
Kind gestures that Americans did
Some of the ways they showed thoughtfulness include giving a compliment (54%), listening to others (54%), and sending a gift or card for a loved one’s birthday (55%). Another 8 in 10 made a conscious effort to do something nice for a loved one on their birthday.
While many respondents tried their best, two in three admitted that being thoughtful was not always easy to maintain. Another 3 in 5 admitted that their negative feelings would often overshadow the positive. About 59% stated that they didn’t always have the time to perform thoughtful gestures.
Americans plan to be better friends
Although practicing thoughtfulness could be difficult, 2 in 3 said it has turned into more compassionate people. Another 62% were determined to become better friends this year. They had gone as far as to plan how they would achieve this.
Some of the ways respondents planned to become better friends include not being on their phones when they had conversations with loved ones (52%), using polite language (52%), and giving more compliments (66%).
Some Americans used money to show thoughtfulness, with others offering to pay for meals. They also shared care when picking gifts, with 35% using an hour or more to pick gifts.
