HUMAN KINDNESS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
We have recently seen one of the worst political races in our countries history. Instead of seeing mature adults, respectful and kind to each other while discussing political views that collide; they modeled bullying, racism, narcissism, hate, and discrimination. To say the least, it was embarrassing and saddening to have leaders in a country of the “free” behave in such a way. The wrong message was being sent not only to the young children of America as to appropriate adult behavior, but it embarrassed us as a nation across the world.
Human kindness is something that is slowly being eroded away by the leaders we chose in this election. Kindness is a behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions. Aristotle, in Book II of his “Rhetoric”, defines it as being “helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped”. Nietzsche argued that kindness and love are the “most curative herbs and agents in human intercourse”. Kindness is considered to be one of the Knightly Virtues. In Meher Baba’s teachings, God is synonymous with kindness: “God is so kind that it is impossible to imagine His unbounded kindness!”
We know kindness is something we learn, implement and show through our attitudes and behaviors. Kindness is developed in family cultures and family values when shown and grown by modeling is beneficial to the members of the family. Research also shows that it changes the people who are doing it in positive ways. In October 2011, Life Vest Inside posted a video called “Kindness Boomerang”. Masterfully shot all in one take, it shows how one act of kindness passes seamlessly from one person to the next and boomerangs back to the person who set it into motion. It avoids being merely sentimental through the expert execution, and even achieves a strange power—packing more authentic human emotion into its five minutes than most corporate advertisers manage in a year or more. Kindness Boomerang was shot on September 1, 2010. Orly Wahba, Life Vest Inside Founder and Director of Kindness Boomerang explains that each scene was based on real life experiences she personally went through; moments of kindness that left a lasting impression on her life.
Within several months after its release, Kindness Boomerang went viral; reaching over 20 million people globally and eventually landing Wahba spot on the TED2013 stage to speak about the power of kindness. Kindness Boomerang sparked what has come to be known as the Kindness Revolution; an increased awareness and consciousness that each person matters and that kindness is within our reach.
Pay It Forward: Based on the novel of the same name written in 1999 by author Catherine Ryan Hyde, the motion picture Pay it Forward, which starred Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment and Jon Bon Jovi, illustrates the power one person can have to impact a chain reaction of kind deeds. The philosophy of Pay It Forward is that through acts of kindness among strangers, we all foster a more caring society. In the book and film, Reuben St. Clair, a social studies teacher in Atascadero, California, challenges his students to “Change the world”. One of his students, Trevor, takes the challenge to heart. As he goes about his day, he wonders what he could do to change the world. He starts by showing kindness to a stranger which ripples further than he could have ever imagined.
We can all learn something from being kind to each other. Our country needs to remember the old saying “The fish rots from the head down” and insist that our politicians and OURSELVES change the world through “passing it forward” and that each person matters whether they are different skin color, have different religions, have different views and have other sensitivities that differ from your own.
I was so saddened by this past political experience. The splitting of our country by carefully crafted political factions for the purpose of self-glorification and not country greatness was for me, horrifying. The fact that our country who boasts to be the best on earth showed the world that we are no different than “the ugly American” stereotype that they have been shown by Americans traveling abroad. To see my own friends and family members display behaviors that were less than kind to those who didn’t have the same political views was more than upsetting. But most of all, that all of us thought we were modeling for our younger generation the inappropriate rudeness of entitlements as what we choose to display was shocking.
Kindness is something we all need to remember to do and show every day. Kindness is something we need to implement to heal what the political process has destroyed because we allowed it to. Kindness – pass it forward!!!