The root word kindness is the same as that of "family" — or "kin." Kindness recognizes our kinship. In many cultures, the worst thing you can do is "dis" someone — show disrespect. Disrespect demeans, says the other person doesn't matter. The message is, You don't exist. Kindness is just the opposite. You can't be kind without someone to receive it. Whatever form kindness takes, the bottom line is that you're making a human connection.
— Joan Duncan Oliver, Happiness: How to Find It and Keep It