It is the extra element that makes a loving relationship better and the breaking on an old one tolerable. It is almost always the missing element in disputes that never end – The need to be Right overcomes the ability to be kind.
Sometimes acts of kindness are seen to be a sign of weakness when in fact the weakness stems from misguided love – love out of need to be loved back or love in expectation of change. Toughness is often a cover-up for vulnerability and past hurt.
"Isn’t kindness the most underrated human quality?"
Who by? I rate it very highly.
Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story
Kindness is love in action.
'Love' seeking what you can gain, even the return of love, is a limited love. Real love gives with no expectation of return and continues to give.
“Love is patient, Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
(1 Corinthians 13 : 4 – 8)
Nope.
So what is then?
I'm not agreeing that kindness is the most under-rated quality, though I agree that acts of kindness can be seen as a weakness and the willingness to put anothers needs before your own can be taken advantage of. In those instances its very under-rated by the person who sees the kindness of another as a way of using them.
I'd struggle to choose between kindness and honesty as the most under-rated.
Most of us believe we are kind but unfortunately we all tend to choose when to be kind and who to be kind to.
The true test is to be kind when the initial reaction would have been anger or indifference and to do that to complete strangers and people you do not "like".
The state of the world, the endless conflicts and the growing gap between "economies" suggest that a bit more kindness would not go amiss.
Dunno. But as kindness has been consistently praised as the greatest of divine virtues by the world's largest religion for about 2,000 years, I'd hardly call it "under-rated".
But if I had to pick a "most under-rated" virtue, especially in our celeb-oriented Western society, I'd definitely go for humility.
I'm meant to say 'I'm not arguing that...'
Not sure about that. While honesty isn't always practised, it is often respected. People do appreciate honesty, even if they don't agree with what the person is saying. Kindness isn't respected in the same way, and people who are kind are sometimes seen as naive and a 'doormat'.
Kindness means putting someone else's needs ahead of your own, making time for those who need it, reaching out a helping hand to a stranger and not going though life thinking 'what can I get out of life, work, relationships?'. Since 'what's in this for me?' is a common way of looking at life, kindness does sort of run against the grain a bit.
I have come across many examples of kindness in the dancing community.
I guess I was thinking of 'in day to day life and society' rather than in terms of religion or history.
Agree its under-rated. And challenging at times to put into practice, it also goes against the 'self seeking' culture. I'd say it also goes hand in hand with kindness - both are about putting other people and their needs ahead of your own. 'Look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others - in humility consider others better than yourself'.
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