Please treat people with kindness.
You will make a huge difference in the lives of others around you.
And you will feel better too!
Print the above Treat People with Kindness graphics and display on your work bulletin board.
Give Me a Break, Treat People with Kindness
This article was inspired by an email sent out by local Tender Heart Vet Care of Gardner. The email asks people to be kinder. We at Gardner Magazine agree. I say, Give Me a Break, where is the kindness. Whether it’s political speech, conversation among family members, communication with providers, contact at the grocery store, or talking on the phone, sometimes kindness is sorely missing. The illustration at left depicts how a person feels when subjected to bullying behavior. It’s easy to make a change. Be kind.
Later on in this article, you can play the official “Treat People with Kindness” video from musician Harry Styles. But first, let’s explore the topic of kindness in more detail.
What Is Kindness?
Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward. Kindness was one of the main topics in the Bible. In a Wikipedia article, there are references to the Bible on “Kindness.” In Book II of “Rhetoric“, Aristotle defines kindness as “helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped”. Nietzsche considered kindness and love to be the “most curative herbs and agents in human intercourse”. Kindness is considered to be one of the Knightly Virtues. In Meher Baba‘s teachings, God is synonymous with kindness: “God is so kind that it is impossible to imagine His unbounded kindness!” And studies suggest that both men and women value kindness and intelligence in their prospective mates, along with other attributes.
A Nice Guy
A “nice guy” is an informal term for an adult male who portrays himself as gentle, compassionate, sensitive, and/or vulnerable. A nice person puts the needs of others before his own, avoids confrontations, does favors, gives emotional support, tries to stay out of trouble, and generally acts nicely towards others. Traits may include honesty, loyalty, courtesy, and respect.
Treat People with Kindness
Through acts of kindness we all can foster a more caring society. The next time you speak with someone show respect with “Please” and “Thank you.” If you’re frustrated, avoid yelling at someone over the phone. Understand that the person is probably as frustrated as you are because of the inability to service customers in the usual quick fashion simply due to a busy day. If you call a city office out of frustration something isn’t happening as quickly as you would like, consider that the person to whom you are speaking is only a messenger, trying his/her best. So, please be kind. Singer-songwriter Harry Styles has been promoting kindness for the past few years with his slogan ‘Treat people with Kindness’ also abbreviated TPWK.
Dogs Are a Great Example of Kindness in Practice
Those of us who have been to a local dog park quickly realize most puppies are born with built-in kindness and affection towards everyone. It is only when humans mistreat animals and traumatize them that a dog becomes fearful and sometimes aggressive. Most of the time, most dogs just love to play with one another. And they don’t care about how their “doggy friends” look, what color they are, or anything else if you get my drift. Being a little less judgmental and showing a lot more kindness would go a long way towards solving many of the problems in our society. It all starts with each one of us. Best of all, kindness is FREE to use, and it feels so much better than being unkind. Kindness opens up genuine communication and leads to good things for all of us. Please, treat people with kindness. To play any of the videos below, click the Play button.