What is kindness? Is it an emotion, a virtue, a quality of character? Do you know what kindness is? When did you first recognize kindness? What does kindness feel like? How can we define it?
Kindness is a kind behavior marked by occasional acts of compassion, consideration, or even solicitations of another's need, without necessarily expecting reward or praise. Kindness has been one of the central topics from the Bible to the present day. There are countless instances in which we act with kindness, when we should have responded with something else. I am reminded of the story of a young child who stood in front of a fire and let someone else save her dog from the burning building.
In our society we now have "the meter" to weigh people's kindness. The kind of meter is the one that counts the number of random acts of kindness done around us everyday. When we find ourselves consistently doing these acts of kindness, it becomes habitual and shows us that we are a person who is aware of how we are received and we begin to take special care of those around us. When we are actively choose to be kind, there is no way anyone can say we don't deserve any kindnesses - and this makes us truly worthy of kindnesses from others.
This is my first online sign that I am sharing today. I found this after reading an interesting article about the genius of Thomas Edison. Edison had many unique acts of kindness that made an impact on humanity throughout his lifetime. One of these acts came when he decided to volunteer to help create the electric railway system of the United States, because he felt that it would improve the lives of those people who were in need. He knew that if more people who needed help could travel through an electric railway system, then it would lessen the suffering of those who did not have access to them.
This story is so important, because it tells us that kindness involves choice. We can choose to act kindly in different ways. We can choose to give without expecting anything in return. We can choose to be kind to our enemies, and seek revenge when we encounter those who do us wrong. All of these acts are manifested in our daily lives, but there is something special about choosing to be kind. When we choose to be kind to others - to those who are different from us, to our neighbors, to our family - then we choose to be a part of the progression of humanity.
The definition of kindness used by the National Catholic Register is "The virtue of love." According to the Register, kindness can mean different things to different people. A mother may mean kindness to her children, her spouse, or even a stranger. But whatever the definition, one thing remains the same: kindness is good.
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