“It is futile to judge a kind deed by its motives. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.”
Eric Hoffer
Maybe Hoffer built upon the statement of Thucydides, who said that it is not by receiving kindness, but by conferring it, that we become kind. You will come to realize how much emphasis I put on this aspect throughout the writing of these meditations. Albert Schweitzer also felt that it is the purpose of human life to serve and to show kindness and to help others. He said that true kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one's own the suffering and joy of others.
It is by placing yourself in the shoes of the “other” that you can become kinder and more compassionate in your nature. Kindness, I can assure you, is not something which is too hard to attain. Confucius asked: "Is kindness really far away?” He answered by saying: “No sooner do I desire it than it is here.” Kindness is within you, you only need to take lumps of it and share it with others; dish it out unconditionally and witness the change it will bring, not only in other people’s lives but in yours as well.
I believe that no man is born wicked, I believe that one chooses to be wicked and to be unkind; it lies within yourself to make the decision to be kind or not to be kind. I will end by stating two proverbs which can be pondered upon. In Russian, it is said that a word of kindness is better than a fat pie, while the Japanese say that one kind word can warm three winter months. Embrace kindness and take the first step in changing your world, and that is the thought for today.
They call it compassion, kindness, benevolence,
being considerate, helpful, showing good charity…
embracing it will brighten up our collective existence,
and will contribute to bringing about a more ethical type of humanity.
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