Thursday, February 27, 2020

Virtue develoopment - Kindness, what is the measure of a person?


Part two - What is the measure of a person? Kindness

Kindness cannot co-exist with attack whether that attack comes in the form of judgment, contempt, disdain, cheating, lying, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, or physical abuse.

When one deals with one’s shame and guilt by blaming others, how can any good come from it other than to save face, avoid one’s own accountability, and live a lie pretending things are one way when they are really another?

Kindness does not harm, does not gloat, does not avoid responsibility and certainly does not attack another to benefit one’s ego.

When one is unkind, one further contributes to hell on earth. Rather than choose harm and a further enhancement and extension of hell on earth, choosing kindness does the opposite and bestows a blessing on oneself and others. Kindness is one more step towards heaven on earth.

Choosing kindness is facilitated by always asking “What would Love have me do?” and then doing it.

Because of our socialization and conditioning by society, kindness does not come naturally but is a skill that is strengthened by practice. By being mindful of what Love would have us do and doing it, we become stronger with every effort at extending kindness. After much practice, kindness seems to come more habitually and be natural.

What is the measure of a mature person? It is their skill and competence in employing kindness in their interactions with themselves and others?

How much of the time do you interact with yourself and others in a kind way: 100%, 50%, 25%? How could you increase the percentage of the time that you act kindly? What would it take? Are you willing to deliberately practice being kind?

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