Kindness

The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. The trite subjects of human efforts, possessions, outward success, luxury have always seemed to me contemptible.

Albert Einstein


Personally, the last month has been hard work, full of anxiety, an exercise in extreme change, moments when losing one's temper would have been appropriate, though, knowing that keeping one's harsh words to one self will do more good than harm, has proved to be the correct course of action - in more ways than one.

It is with out doubt that out of my 250,000 word BLOG, I've spoken of one of my favourite philosophers, William James. He had a word of advice that has always rang true, sounding simple but harder to put into action. He wrote:

"Just for today, I will do something I do not want to do, and do someone a kind turn and not be found out!"

Random acts of kindness has been bandied about for a very long time. But seriously, how often do we put into practice this seemingly effortless action?

Philosophy is about the pursuit of wisdom; as a subject of study, it encompasses many subjects: ethics, metaphysics, the nature of language - though it was the Greeks who asked the million dollar question that underpinnes all philosophy:

"How are we to Live?"

As a young philosophy student, some years ago, I really tried to put James' dictum into practice, but as youth is about creating identity and proving oneself, these acts of kindness had to be "huge", "world changing": saving a life, saving a damsel in distress, finding the "key" to world peace...what a fool.

Over the years, I've come to understand that so-called little acts of kindness can and sometimes does, has the greatest affect.

For example: taking one's neighbours garbage bins back from the street because you know how busy they have been. Visiting an old relative in a shelter that you know is dieing and lonely. Washing the staff room dishes when you are not rostered because you know they've had a hard week, etc. You get the idea. In all honesty, it took me a long time to realize this simple truth.

The first part of James' advice is a no brainer: "Do one thing you do not want to do." - we have chores, decisions, a "put off" phone call": cleaning toilets or even raking those leaves.

Just do it and you will feel better.

William James was considered by his contemporaries as a Pragmatist. In essence, this means, if a philosophical theory cannot be applied or is relavent to the real world, it is useless.

William James denied the label (Pragmatist), but certainly practiced it.

To feel the Kindness from another is a great feeling.

To be Kind for the sake of Kindness, is even better.

One last thing, what gives an act of Kindness more worth, is to do the act, anonymously.

Because there is no credit given if you shout your kind acts to the roof tops for the world to hear - only the ACT itself has worth.

This may sound easy, but it is much harder in the day to day life we have come to know so well; though James' words have great worth.


Something to strive for...