avatarAlex Rosado

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of choosing kindness in a challenging world, despite the ease of making unkind choices.

Abstract

The author reflects on the adage "in a world where you can be anything, be kind," acknowledging the difficulty of consistently choosing kindness over easier, often less virtuous, alternatives. The article delves into the personal struggle of maintaining kindness in the face of life's hardships, societal pressures, and the temptation to exploit others' misfortunes for personal gain. Despite the prevalent cynicism in the author's social circle, including a husband who believes in humanity's inherent badness and a best friend who feels niceness is unrewarded, the author advocates for kindness as a foundational virtue. The piece concludes with a call to action for readers to prioritize kindness, suggesting that it can lead to inner peace and a sense of fulfillment, regardless of external validation or rewards.

Opinions

  • The author believes that being kind is not always the easiest choice and requires effort to control one's feelings and be considerate of others.
  • There is a critique of the ease with which people can be unkind, such as cutting in line or reacting impulsively in anger.
  • The author expresses a personal commitment to kindness, despite not always being kind or good in the past, and has found inner peace through this approach.
  • The article suggests that kindness is undervalued by some, including the author's spouse and best friend, who have differing beliefs about the effectiveness of kindness.
  • The author rejects the idea of using sensational events, like a celebrity scandal, for personal gain or increased readership, viewing it as indecent and contrary to the principle of kindness.
  • There is an emphasis on the intrinsic value of kindness, even if it does not lead to tangible benefits or recognition.
  • The author encourages readers to be kind beyond other virtues, asserting that it is sufficient to make a positive impact on the world.

Be Kind, Life Is Hard Enough

If we can only be one thing…

Created by the author because she couldn’t find any original pictures on Unsplash

We’ve all heard the expression “in a world where you can be anything, be kind.” And sure, I wholeheartedly second it. Always be the better person, the nicer person, have a smile, a kind word, don’t let anger and frustration get the best of you. It seems evident.

But it’s also easy to say.

Have you ever realized that the easiest choice is often the bad one? It’s so easy to follow our impulses, to be in a bad mood, and let the rest of the world know. It’s easy to cut the line because we want to get somewhere faster. It’s easy to wear glasses that distort reality.

But being a good person is never easy. No, I mean it. It’s not easy to take it upon ourselves to control our feelings, to be mindful of others, to wait our turn, to let someone else have the last of the thing we wanted. It’s not easy to admit someone is better or did better than us. It’s not easy to look inward and untangle old wounds from daily frustrations.

I started this article thinking “if I can be anything, then I want to be honest”, and I was about to say that considering I’m not exactly doing great on Medium, I should just publish whatever comes to me. It’d be easier, right? Just say whatever.

Today I could talk about the infamous slap from Will Smith to Chris Rock and analyze its implications. I could just get mad at people that blame Jada Pinkett Smith for it, as if she was the one to do it. I could comment on people’s comments about their relationship. I could criticize Will for using violence, because God knows I hate it. I could talk about how famous people keep on hating on each other, making the same jokes over and over about each other, and how it was bound to happen.

There’s so much to say. So much juice to be extracted. So many views to attract — click-baity, almost indecent.

But what do I know? I certainly don’t know them, their history, what goes on behind closed doors, nor do I know what it feels like to be made fun of on the internet every single day.

I don’t freaking know, and I don’t want to know. I also don’t want to be a hater, or use someone’s lowest moment to improve my ratings.

Maybe, in a world where I can be anything, I should be kind. And if I could only be one thing, beyond wise, fun, or honest, I want to be kind too. Just kind.

I live with people that don’t believe in it. My husband believes the world deserves to end, and that humankind is just bad to the core. My best friend thinks she shouldn’t be nice because nice is never rewarded. My parents-in-law believe in kindest, but only to people that look and think like them.

There’s no one to extend the courtesy — and they’re all wrong.

I spent the last couple years of my life putting kindness first. I wasn’t always kind, or even good, but I was also miserable. It changed. My life is not easier, I don’t get much out of kindness, but every night I go to sleep knowing I did my best to make the world a nicer place. I found some inner peace.

If that’s not worth it, then I don’t think anything will ever be enough.

So, in a world where you can be anything, and I mean anything — asshole included — be kind. Not a hero, not a legend. Kind.

It will be enough.

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Culture
Life
Advice
Relationships
To Be Human
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