Many people underestimate the power of a few kind words from strangers.

For someone who had long battled self-doubt, an online post unexpectedly opened the door to the affirmation and belonging they always craved.

It was a shift that rippled far beyond the internet.

Read on for the full story!

i still can’t believe it that every upvote is a person who clicked the arrow and feel how it has a positive impact on my self esteem

I got bullied a lot, and I never really had a lot of self-esteem. With these insecurities, I also was less attractive and so on.

I got better at it over the years and don’t care about it as much as before.

I knew Reddit but hadn’t signed in until this year.

But once they did, they never knew it would end up turning their entire life around.

I wrote a comment back then that got some likes, and having people agree with my POV or comment — or finding it worthy to upvote — still leaves a feeling of satisfaction and approval.

Since I have been here, I have also seen the dark sides of this world, but once you know how to move in here, I got really fond of it.

And this positivity followed them into their real life as well.

I got a positive reception in my social environment, and I started to stand up for myself more with less doubt and being generally calmer.

I would have never thought how impactful this is.

Who knew building such a positive online community could end up enriching your physical communities too?

Redditors weigh in with their thoughts.

Traditionally outcast people often have great luck finding likeminded people online.

The internet helps people from all over the world connect in a meaningful way.

This user loves spreading positivity through upvotes.

It’s easy to lose sight of true scale when it comes to internet interactions.

It was about more than just a few upvotes — it was about feeling seen by a community for the very first time.

Reddit helped prove to this person that everyone deserves to feel valued.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.