Being kind is a gift to yourself | Emil Wasteson Wallén | TEDxMalmö

Emil Wallén opens with a guided visualization exercise asking the audience to recall a recent act of kindness, establishing the warm feeling that kindness produces. He then shares a personal story triggered by watching a late-night talk show about Sweden's kidney donor shortage, where he learned that 4,000 people depend on dialysis machines for survival. Inspired by the response and learning that anonymous kidney donations can trigger transplant chains, Wallén decided to donate one of his own kidneys. After nine months of medical testing and despite significant doubts and fears about surgery risks, he proceeded with the donation. He describes the surgery and his anxiety about the recipient's outcome, which was only resolved when a doctor informed him that his kidney had gone to a small child and the surgery was successful. Wallén then pivots to discussing why actively pursuing happiness often fails, citing research showing that chasing happiness paradoxically reduces it. He contrasts this with the experiences of high-achieving professionals who have found greater fulfillment by shifting focus toward contributing to something larger than themselves. He presents evidence that small acts of kindness—from buying a colleague coffee to volunteering—reliably increase happiness, reduce depression, and even increase life expectancy. Wallén concludes by emphasizing that kindness is contagious; observing or hearing about kind acts inspires others to perform kindness themselves, creating ripples throughout society. He encourages the audience to commit to one act of kindness before leaving, suggesting it may be the best thing they do for themselves that day.