It’s no coincidence Buddhists are viewed as more peaceful than the average person—it’s because for the most part they are. As it turns out simply seeing Buddhist principles spelled out makes one more tolerant, compassionate, and prosocial toward others. A recent study gave two groups of participants each a different crossword puzzle to complete, one regular puzzle for the control, and another full of Buddhist concepts. Amazingly those with the Buddhist puzzle exhibited increased signs of compassion and tolerance. Even if you don’t believe in Buddhism, anyone can benefit from learning, or reading about, its concepts.