How Kind Are Montanans? We Find Out With New Kindness Survey.

I've often talked about the kindness that I encounter from Montanans. I'm not talking about the online trolls that hate everything and everyone.  You know the type, the ones that are angry about everything and spew nothing but negativity.

No, I'm talking about real people that I encounter every day.

I've spent almost 30 years in the radio profession and my travels have taken me to several states.  I was born and raised in Missouri and have lived and worked in Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Florida, North Dakota, and Montana.

So, to quote the Johnny Cash song, "I've been everywhere, man"

I find most Montanans to be extremely kind.  They are friendly and pleasant and really rather easy to talk to. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to strike up a conversation with someone from Montana, and once you do, you will find they are well versed in...well, almost anything you would want to talk about.

So, how do Montanans rank when it comes to other states?  Are Montanans kinder than most?

I can tell you this, according to research from Verizon, Montanans are certainly in the upper echelon when it comes to kindness. Granted, we don't make the Top 10, but we do come in at number 12.

The kindest state in the United States? Kentucky. Even though Montana didn't make the Top 10, a couple of our neighbors did. North Dakota came in at number 5 on the list and Wyoming came in at number 10. Our friends over in South Dakota just edged us out for the 11th spot.

Some of the findings from the survey according to Verizon:

• The average American would give up $6.40 if that meant a stranger got $10.
• 86 percent of people would donate a part of their liver to a family member
• 72 percent would lend money to a friend in a financial crisis
• 53 percent would donate their vacation time to a colleague

As I always say, there is a whole lot of good in the world.  If you spend your time watching the news or reading stuff online, you will think this world is a horrible, scary place.  The truth is, there are good folks out there, and every day they're making a difference by helping others.

However, no one wants to write about or report on that. In a world that we get to choose our attitude, let's choose to be kind.