Creating a Kind Culture

My latest encounter with a stranger convinced me that the greatest fear we all face is that of having a kind culture. This is where we are judged not by what we do, but by what we did not do. A kind culture is a society in which people have compassion for each other and take care to share their blessings and sorrows. It is a society in which the strong are not necessarily considered weak. In a kind culture, a stranger who comes to your house offering assistance is warmly welcomed, while one who threatens to harm you or your loved ones is politely sent away. It is a kind culture in which you and your family can enjoy the security and strength of a life free from the fear of crime.

But it must be said that this kind of a world is not necessarily easy to come by. This is why I believe in being kind to everyone. A lot of the time, it’s not even about how well you treat someone. It’s about how much you let somebody else love you for who you really are. You can choose to help others without compromising your own sense of deservedness or self worth.

This goes for family members as well. Showing kindness to a family member doesn’t mean that you are condoning or expecting them to behave badly. Treat every member of your family like you expect them to behave in a way that is consistent with respecting others’ fundamental freedoms and individual rights.

What kind of a world would this be if every single human being behaved solely according to how they want to be treated? Not only would this be unfair, but it could not exist. In a kind culture, each individual treats every other with respect because that person has the ability to choose how they will be treated. Each individual knows their own worth. They understand that when they behave in a manner that is consistent with their values, their worth will rise.

If you know someone who acts kindly and consistently to a stranger, that person is not being selfish. They are simply exhibiting kind behavior. Kindness can go a long way. This kind of kindness can come in many forms. For instance, being kind to a stranger when you don’t return his or her greetings when you have seen them recently can make a huge difference. If you genuinely show that you care, even if you don’t actually return their greetings, that will have a positive impact on the person.

In a kind culture, treating people with kindness can occur in a number of different ways. This is not limited to a few kinds of behavior. In a kind culture, treating someone with kindness is an attitude. Treating someone with respect even if you don’t like what they are doing is part of that attitude. That’s the key to creating a kind culture.