We see memes and quotes all the time telling us to be kind. But how many of us read those quotes and then go about being who we are, not even thinking about kindness?
I have written about this before, but I felt it was important to discuss it again! It seems that every year around this time, I am confronted with the same old issue!
The kindness lesson hit home for me again this week. You see, I manage a Facebook group of nearly 30,000 members. One particular issue causes heated discussions, which can get rather nasty. For years, I have warned people not to be rude or speak negatively about the subject, but it happens anyway.
Honestly, it is hard to deal with. One particular post attracted 81 comments (in about 30 minutes) — quicker than I could delete the rude comments! It was a hate frenzy!
But at the same time, it made me conscious of my own attitude and response.
Seeing hate, anger, and discord dramatically affects me. Because of that, I do my best to avoid it or at least not respond to it—which is not always easy.
I am also aware that hate typically stems from judgment. Now, here is the kicker: How can I (and we, collectively) stop judging each other?
Over my decades of living, I have noticed that too often, we just don’t listen to others. It has become too easy to dismiss others’ thoughts and opinions, which leads to levels of judgment. And when that happens, we forget to be kind.
We live in an ‘information age’ of humankind. This is good as many of our modern conveniences came about from collaborating to create something that makes our lives easier.
On the flip side, with all the information flying at us from different directions, how do we discern what is true and what is not? The internet has been a huge blessing, but it also has a curse. When talking to folks through a computer screen, we often forget the need to be kind to one another. We can become arrogant, self-righteous, and judgmental!
So how do we deal with this ‘curse?’ I find direction from the words: Model the behavior you wish to see in the world.” In other words, don’t judge others when you are doing the same things. Or just simply: Do better!
Not always easy, but change always starts from within before it can move out into the world.
Kindness is a very important trait to anchor myself into. I can’t change what other people do, but I can change how I react. When you can’t think of any other way to deal with people and situations, just be kind. You will always be the winner!