Kindness is free

Being kind is absolutely free, but it holds the power to change someone’s whole day - for better or worse.

So this is probably something everyone has heard about before, but it is still really important and relevant. In a time and age when people are unapologetic about being themselves, it is still crucial to remember that other people have feelings too. That doesn’t cover what you want to say or express, but it’s about basic courtesy and manners. Right?

Picture this: there’s someone in your class, and they were completely relaxed and chatty with you and the rest of the class for the first month or so. Somewhere along the line, they turned rude. By this, I mean doing things like not looking at you when you speak or snapping at you to grab your attention. Now, imagine if this isn’t just being done to you, but this person does this to the whole class. Some of you might be telling me that this person might have something else going on, but when asked over and over again, they don’t say anything. Okay, maybe they don’t want to share, but does this attitude really have to continue over weeks?

There’s only so much unkindness people can take. Right? How many doors in the face and short answers can someone take? This isn’t just about this particular situation, but in general. There’s only so much a person can take before it starts to affect them negatively. For sensitive people, this limit is even lower.

Kindness is easy. Courtesy is even easier. A respectful reply and a smile can go a long way. Calling someone by their name might even get you a smile. Acts of kindness are so easy to do. Maybe it’s holding open the door, or waiting until everyone is done eating to get up from the table. It might be discussing a group project rather than letting the others do the work.

It doesn’t even need to be a compliment or offering help. It’s just the simple act of looking at the person opposite to you as a human being and treating them the way you’d like to be treated. Is that really so hard? I don’t think so. But… why do so many people choose to be cruel and set kindness aside?