4 min learnNew DelhiFeb 3, 2026 11:00 PM IST
Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta as soon as recalled how, throughout the Miss India pageant, she not solely centered on successful but in addition took the time to assist her fellow contestants Priyanka Chopra and Dia Mirza. This meant displaying them learn how to apply make-up, serving to with outfits, and providing steering, although they had been technically her rivals.
When questioned by Simi Garewal on her chat present about not being “aggressive sufficient,” Lara defined, “With me is you retain your focus the place you needed it to be. I imply, for me it was successful Miss India and Miss Universe, total focus is there, however on the similar time you don’t overlook that you’re human and achievements or failures, with out attempting to sound morbid, when you’re gone aren’t actually going to matter.”
Lara added that moments of serving to others matter to her greater than trophies: “You already know you get only a few moments in your life if you attain out and do one thing for somebody and people are the moments that meet life. And if I can’t do this then I’m not residing and I don’t need any of it as a result of that’s crucial factor for me.”
Priyanka Chopra, who was 17 on the time, had beforehand shared how a lot she valued Lara’s assist, saying, “I seemed as much as Lara fairly a bit, as a result of she’d had a lot expertise. Dia was 18, and I used to be 17, and we had been like these little babes. We used to name Lara ‘mother’. I wouldn’t know what to put on, or how my make-up was. And I keep in mind one time she took me to the toilet, and she or he confirmed me the suitable make-up to make use of for my pores and skin. Completely look as much as her for that.”
Priyanka Chopra, who was 17 on the time, had beforehand shared how a lot she valued Lara Dutta’s assist (Supply: Specific archive picture)
So, why do some individuals select to increase kindness to others even after they’re in direct competitors?
Psychologist Rasshi Gurnani tells indianexpress.com, “As a psychologist, I see Lara Dutta’s strategy as a traditional instance of excessive emotional intelligence at play. Some individuals select to increase kindness in aggressive conditions as a result of they function from a mindset of abundance fairly than shortage. They consider there’s sufficient room for everybody to shine, and that another person’s success doesn’t robotically diminish their very own.”
She provides that this reduces anxiousness, retains them grounded, and permits them to carry out with readability as an alternative of worry. “Such behaviour can be linked to intrinsic motivation, when the purpose isn’t simply the trophy but in addition the integrity with which you obtain it, you naturally make house for compassion.”
How serving to others in high-pressure conditions can strengthen your individual confidence
“Serving to others in high-pressure eventualities can really enhance confidence,” notes Gurnani, including that when one extends assist, they reinforce their very own sense of functionality — if they’ll raise another person whereas carrying their very own weight, they begin to trust their own resilience extra deeply. “Psychologically, acts of kindness set off optimistic feelings and cut back stress hormones, making a calmer, sharper psychological state. This can provide you a efficiency edge since you’re working from stability, not survival mode,” states the skilled.
