On Crossdisciplinarity, Technology, Interconnectedness, and… Kindness

Kindness, it seems, is everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. A general concept that only resonates when tied to personal experience. This post explores the importance of kindness, particularly self-compassion, in both professional and personal settings. It also touches on the role of technology in personal development.

Many years ago, I attended a conference in the breathtaking city of Bari, in southeastern Italy, where I was presenting my research on alterity and diversity in language education. It was there that I met a professor who, beyond being an accomplished researcher, was also a wise and deeply insightful woman.

Taking in the sights and sounds of Bari. September, 2014

I approached her to express how much I admired her work on migration and the integration of migrant children in Italian classrooms. As we spoke, I shared my frustration about the slow progress of my PhD. Juggling so many different projects made it feel like I was constantly being pulled in different directions.

Her response shifted my perspective entirely. Instead of seeing my varied experiences as distractions, she encouraged me to view them as assets. "What if," she said, "your different projects are not a shortfall, but a source of richness for your research?" She was right. That shift in mindset helped me embrace the value of interconnected knowledge. To this day, I continue weaving my diverse expertise such as research in human-machine interaction and language education, strategic communication and project management into my coaching programs.

Speaking at conference

The Kindness Conundrum

For the past two weeks, my thoughts have been circling around kindness at work and at home. A couple of weeks ago, I prompted ChatGPT to design a broad map of areas where kindness might be needed, adding a touch of humour. It did what it can do best, an exercise that synthesised and logically organised vast amounts of existing knowledge. It was still quite bad at generating the image to accompany the text.. I posted it on LinkedIn and it spurred lots of discussions. But here’s the thing: knowledge at a general level is just that, general. It only becomes meaningful when it connects with our personal experiences.

Interestingly, kindness kept showing up in my life all week. A family member asked me, "If I wake up every other morning and cook breakfast for my family, is that an act of kindness?" Well… yes and no.

My questions and reflections about kindness led me to a theory of Self-Compassion I came across last week. Imagine these three common scenarios:

• You receive critical feedback at work, leaving you feeling embarrassed or inadequate.

• You make a mistake on an important project, setting your team back.

• You’re overwhelmed by the pressures of work, family, and personal life, struggling to keep up.

What’s the first step in all of these situations? Kindness toward yourself. Acknowledging your emotions, using kind words in your inner dialogue, and practicing self-compassion.

It seems obvious, right? But for many, it isn’t. Self-compassion is something we instinctively practice if we were met with kindness and understanding as children. If not, we have to learn it, rehearse it, and make it a habit.

Mother and daughter, loving relationships

The Role of Technology and Human Connection

There are researchers who dedicate their entire careers to studying kindness and self-compassion, uncovering the profound impact these practices have on our well-being, serenity, and even physical health. Inspired by this, I recently asked Gemini (Google’s AI) to coach me on one of these theories. And while I’m enjoying the process, it also made me reflect on something deeper:

With Generative AI and Large Language Models, do we even need human coaches anymore? Wishful thinking. 😊

Technology is an incredible tool, one that has helped me become more productive and creative. But real transformation? That happens through people.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned a person who profoundly changed my way of thinking. I have countless such stories about moments when a conversation with the right person at the right time inspired me to reach new heights.

And that’s something technology, for all its brilliance, has never done for me. It can assist, enhance, and even simulate human interaction. But it cannot replace the depth of connection, the warmth of encouragement, or the lasting impact of a meaningful exchange.

I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever had a conversation that completely changed your perspective?

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