Tiny Wisdom: On Being Kind

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” -Plato

Sometimes it can seem like everyone’s out to get you. There’s the person in traffic who refuses to let you into his lane. The customer service representative who rushes you off the phone without helping even a little. The friend who didn’t tell you the whole story, which left you feeling hurt.

We’ve all met these people. We’ve also been these people. We all have days when we’re not as considerate, helpful, or honest as we’d like to be.

Sometimes it’s because we’re rushed. Other times it’s because we’re tired and irritable. And other times it’s because we’re hurting emotionally and maybe we’ve yet to really acknowledge and deal with it. Maybe we don’t think we can, and so we let it fester inside while we go through our day, feeling hopeless, trapped, and alone in our sadness.

Today if you come across someone who gets on your nerves, consider that maybe underneath their rudeness or insensitivity is a pain that’s yet to be healed. It doesn’t condone their actions, and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stand up for yourself when necessary.

But it may make it easier to feel a modicum of compassion. I don’t know about you, but on days when I am hurting, that’s what I want and need: a friendly face that says, “I understand, and I care.”