Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Kindness is A Choice, Not An Obligation

Whenever I see pregnant ladies or frail elderly in the train station, my immediate thought was for them to find a seat in the train or for someone kind to offer a seat to them. While it may seems like a natural thing to give kindness, it is not an obligation to do so. It is not someone's fault if they choose not to be kind. If we see giving kindness as an obligation, rather than a goodwill gesture from the heart, then we lose the beauty of giving.
I believe that kindness is a virtue which resides in all of us, it must be encouraged to grow instead of being forced upon. When we shame others for not giving kindness, we are instilling fear into them, fear being a strong negative emotion definitely do not go hand in hand with kindness. The more we make it an obligation for people to give, is the more we are pushing people away from the true meaning behind giving kindness.
If we dont see people giving kindness when kindness is needed, it is okay, dont blame them because they did nothing wrong actually. Encourage them to give if you can but don't shame or criticise them in whichever manner. If we decide not to give kindness in a particular situation, it is okay too, for there are plenty more opportunities ahead. Kindness, like Happiness, is a choice. It must be given willingly from the Heart and not mandated by any rules or social norm. Only when one truly gives from the heart can one uncover the treasures that comes with it.

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