Meerkat Prompts: The Concept of Kindness
Inspired (not for the first time) by the frankly wonderful Rawen, and also by the always-entertaining Soatok, I thought I could write a post about the concept of kindness.
Being kind seems to be a dying trait. As per the example Rawen shares in his post, it seems those who are privileged do not appreciate what they’ve got, and nor do they value the work and efforts of those they deem beneath them. It is a pity that many of those in positions of power and authority have forgotten what kindness looks like.
Kindness does not have to be a big, bold act. It can be something small. Saying thank you to a waiter, holding the door open for someone, treating the street cleaner or janitor with respect for working hard, none of these things require effort, but they can brighten someone else’s day. There’s never a need to be a blustering, aggressive, posturing asshole.
To look at it another way, if someone comes into my shop, full of anger, and throwing a tantrum, or treating me and my colleagues with contempt, I am not at all inclined to treat that person with respect, though there is the classic saying about killing with kindness, meeting hostility with a friendly word. Still, I will go the extra mile for friendly, good-hearted people, far more so than people who are rude.
