Andrew Thornebrooke
It's an attitude based on learned behavior.
"I stopped to get a coffee between students last week. The clerk miscounted and gave me too much change. At first, I wasn't paying close attention. Then it clicked. So I said, "I think you gave me too much." She seemed embarrassed at first, but I explained, I think you will want your cash drawer to balance at the end of the day acknowledging a simple mistake. She smiled and wished me a Happy New Year. I smiled back."
I was taught kindness. Most of the learning came from my parents. I credit them. They did a great job.
I was taught not to prejudge. I was taught to speak when appropriate and when to keep certain things to myself. If somebody disagreed, it was never to be taken personally. The idea was to focus on actions, not the person. It became so much easier to express ideas and reach consensus. There was so little to gain from scorched earth. The learning process continues to this day.
An example? Sexuality. They preached, "What consenting adults did behind closed doors was not for us to judge." Our judgement would just get in the way of valuing people for who they are. If you're thinking I was brought up with some sort of "wokeness," both of my parents were Republicans and pretty conservative. They understood if we eliminated people based of prejudice, we were leaving so much potential on the table.
The attitude starts with human kindness.
Kindness is defined with the qualities of being friendly, generous and considerate. According to menatlhealth,org,uk, acts of kindness can make the world a happier place for everyone. They can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. They may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they've experienced themselves – contributing to a more positive community.
Berkeleywellbeing.com has a list of the types of kindness:
- Giving compliments.
- Giving gifts.
- Saying kind words.
- Showing gratitude.
- Doing an act of service for someone else.
- Being respectful.
- Noticing good things that others do.
- Giving your time to someone else.
Kindness is not a one way street. Some people think kindness is a sign of weakness, those who are kind are losers who let others take advantage of them. Quite the opposite! The Mayo Clinic says kindness can change your life. Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer. May 29, 2020
Bright before me the signs implore meTo help the needy and show them the wayHuman kindness is overflowingAnd I think it's going to rain today
Randy Newman
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