Let It Be Kindness

We all know aggressive, pushy or rude individuals.  One trip to  a busy supermarket may expose several.  They may push through a line, make inappropriate comments, or attempt to make it clear they deserve special treatment.  In any case, these people seem to take joy in getting theirs before anyone else and making the rest uncomfortable in the process.

The hallmark of inconsiderate people is their uncanny ability to feel superior to others while being resentful, condescending, or perhaps, downright insulting to others.  The reactions of shock, hurt feelings, embarrassment or even shame on the faces of the victims of these people only causes them to be even more disdainful toward those gullible enough to take their assaults personally.

Unless these individuals are sociopaths, and occasionally, they are, their own self-image may be poor.  They may have come from a large family where their objectionable antics were all that set them apart from siblings and got them some attention.  The last possibility is that they were never taught proper social manners and lack impulse control.

The point of all this is to explain the origins and possible causes of what the rest of us would consider objectionable behaviour.  Why should we care?  Because people who are rude and insulting tend to draw our wrath and after repeated offenses, generally generate sufficient animosity to cause retaliation, either verbally or physically.

We like to practice random acts of kindness, now and then, but we tend to draw the line at being kind when faced with the bad behaviour of our peers.  We may not consider that a woman who pushes her way to the front of the line at the quick mart to pay for a gallon of milk, when there are six others waiting, may be bullied by an abusive husband if she takes too long at the store.

I was in a bookstore one fine, but rainy, day.  A woman noted, rather loudly, that my hair was curling from the humidity.  I wanted to ask her if she was born rude or if it was a habit she had cultivated, but I bit my tongue and said nothing.  By rights, such behaviour should totally be ignored.  Did she sneer that she was able to embarrass me?  Probably.  Did I give her the satisfaction of responding?  No.

But being kind when others are rude or inappropriate or cruel asks us to walk our talk.  Whatever the reason someone is lacking in social graces, at least we can take the high road and extend what we believe—kindness to others—thereby not being knocked off our center or losing our own composure for something demeaning.  The sociopaths will feel superior, but the others will appreciate the kindness and perhaps remember to be a little nicer in the future themselves.

May you be richly blessed!