GESTURE OF KINDNESS
Everyday it’s important to do at least one unselfish act - it can be as simple as holding the door for a stranger, letting someone have that coveted parking spot, listening to someone’s struggles, or sending money anonymously to someone in need. I believe we are called to a higher purpose. We are called to love and be loved. We are called to lend a hand and take a hand. We are called to reach higher, to be the best person we can be. Unselfish acts help us rise above our basic nature. Our lives are about more than survival and accumulation. A young student asked his teacher, “Why is it I am so mean to others?” The teacher responded, “Because you fear they will be mean to you.” I read recently on someone’s blog that in “The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating” (Buss, 2003) a study is mentioned where 16000 subjects (from 37 cultures around the world) were asked about their most desired traits in a mate. For both sexes, the first preference was kindness (the second was intelligence). Einhorn in his book (“The Art of Being Kind”) mentions a similar personal experience. When he teaches ethics, as an introduction, he asks the audience a question: What quality would they most want to have? Of a list of traits presented (being intelligent, creative, highly qualified for their work, funny, etc.), more than 90% chose the quality of being a good person. Let’s stop the cycle of hatred and cruelty with a gesture of kindness today.
