Lotus pond in Hong Kong park, downtown Hong Kong, China (2018)
“You are just being too nice!” is a common remark you hear when you go out of your way to serve others, a subdued fashion to tell you: “wake up, you fool! don’t be such an idiot! don’t you see they are taking advantage of you?”. In a world dominated by fierce competition, logical thinking and self serving interests, being kind may come across as a suicidal act, self defeating or even unconscious. So, when it happens, a genuine act of kindness throws people off.
Kindness, though, is exactly what humans need in this day and age. And not just a little bit of kindness. We need it in abundant and generous portions. We need it without measure and unbounded, with no expectation of retributions or rewards. We need it delivered in consciousness. We need to become kindness ourselves through our actions.
Before you jump on the kindness bandwagon, though, notice that being kind is not equivalent to being polite. Politeness amounts to very little. For example, you can stab someone in the back, very politely. Kindness,on the other hand, comes from a different place and can not coexist with betrayal.
What goes around, comes around. It won’t be too long before you yourself become the recipient of a kind act. And yet, before you rush onto the bandwagon of kind people, be sure to expect nothing in return. Question your own intentions. It’s the joy of it all that matters*
(Versión en Castellano será publicada en el futuro)
Cortesía
