Some people in life start their day with affirmations while staring themselves down in the mirror. Others may take themselves out to get a sweet treat they deem a reward for the accomplishments or struggles they faced that day. However, one of the most encouraging and fulfilling ways of getting that hit of dopamine is getting a compliment from someone. Better yet, a stranger.

We, Sophie Woodard and Olivia Cooper, set out last month to bring a little extra joy to the strangers of Bozeman, Montana. With help from the Unofficial Official Kindness Club of Gallatin High School, run by Dawn Drahos, little notes on paper were handed out to strangers to view their reactions and see if there was any impact on their mood or attitude. This experiment brought funny moments to laugh at, kind responses from recipients, and overall a hit of dopamine for ourselves in the process.

Last month on February 20th, we called for the support of Ms. Drahos’s homeroom and asked them to write down compliments on paper for us to distribute at a later date. The outcome of this process was more than we hoped for as each student in the classroom wrote at least three compliments each, many of them in color and surrounded by doodles. The compliments included examples such as, “You light up the room,” “Be proud of who you are,” and a fan favorite: “Your hair is slaying.” Overall, the participation and effort of these students made this experiment even more exciting to complete.

The awaited day came. On February 25th, we set out on Main Street and started planning our attack. With one of us handing out the compliments and the other staying far behind to record the reactions of strangers, the data we collected was unexpected, funny, and all-around gratifying.

A few of our interactions had similar outcomes. We would ask a stranger if they wouldn’t mind taking a piece of paper and the majority of them would be very suspicious at first, asking what it was or giving a very intense side-eye. One lady with a couple of kids with her looked so nervous that she asked if the paper smelled—we definitely didn’t know how to respond, but in the end, she took it and smiled when she read it. The ones that didn’t think twice about taking the notes usually held a bright smile and responded with a “sure” or “thank you,” giving us more confidence to continue asking strangers to take a random piece of paper from random teenagers.

While trying to figure out who our next victim of the kindness bomb would be, we found it as an eye-opening experience. We never came across two similar people. In fact, one of our compliments went to a bride who was getting married that same day at the Rialto Theater. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least, to go up to the bride and ask her if she would like this piece of paper. We realized afterward that the way we were asking strangers to take the compliment was probably sketchy, but who cares? We got the data anyway. The bride was obviously hesitant at first, asking us what it was, but after thinking it over she took it and we went on our merry way for the secret reporter to record her reaction. Turns out we didn’t need the second reporter, because the bride turned around and called after us, “Yeah, you’re killing it, girl!” That was probably our favorite interaction.

But the bridal party was not done yet. We found a groomsman outside the venue wearing a suit and was oblivious to the compliment attack that was about to deploy. As we went up, we had a compliment already picked out: “Your outfit is cute.” Funny enough, the man looked up and chuckled, meaning our plan of attack had worked and brightened up his day. The wedding most likely was also making his day, but we would like to take a little credit for our ironic note.

From a young couple getting married, we also reached the older generation. For all those romantics out there, this one's for you. As we passed a few streets and people, an elderly couple came across us. We did our usual script and they took the paper without resistance. Our super secret reporter caught the endearing moment as the older gentleman read the note aloud to his wife and gave it to her while they smiled at each other. We do not remember what the note said, but all in all, we hope that warmed your heart as it did ours.

There were over thirty different notes handed out and countless smiles shared throughout the experiment. Onlookers who saw some of the interactions commented on how nice or refreshing this test was to see and it got us thinking. Compliments are not as complex as we made them out to be, truth be told—you do not need to write phrases on a piece of paper to give a stranger a better day. If you take anything away from this article, let it be this; making someone’s day better by complimenting their outfit or going out of your way to ease their struggles will in turn make your day better. The cycle of kindness starts with a simple ounce of effort, so next time you see a hairdo you really like, try saying, “Your hair is slaying.”