I write about this often even though I sometimes fail at following my own advice. I was talking about this theme of kindness (and suffering) with a dear friend today, in a serious conversation that seemed to cover a lot of ground but circled around this idea that we can never know what others are suffering.
We’ve all heard a variation of the quote often attributed to Plato, that we should be kind because everyone is fighting their own hard battle. True enough. It reminded me of this video I saw some time ago:
I wonder what a little bit of civility would do for people. A smile. A gentle word.
Listening.
The extraordinary act of making eye contact. I figure it can go a long way.