[11.29] The soldiers do not have wealth, but not because they dislike material goods; they do not live long, but not because they dislike longevity.
[11.30] On the day the men are issued orders to do battle, their tears will roll down their cheeks and soak their sleeves.
[11.31] However, if you throw them into a dire situation, they will have the courage of Chuan Chu or Ts'ao Kuei.
Sun Tzu's The Art of War
Today I would like to discuss the topic of kindness.
But I think it's important I define what kindness actually is, and what it isn't.
Kindness isn't superficial greetings and simple gestures, like saying "Good morning," opening doors for people, picking up our own trash, not stealing, donating our surpluses, being understanding of mean people, and other similar actions. They are behaviors of maturity and necessary for organizations, communities, and societies to function properly.
Kindness is helping someone even when it is most inconvenient to us. Kindness is helping someone even when there is a real cost to us. Kindness is going out of our way to help because someone is suffering. (Whether they are truly suffering is another matter for another day.)
So kindness can come from the poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak to the richest of the rich and the strongest of the strong. Kindness can come from anywhere by anyone at anytime.
In other words, we may have little left or a lot more but we unhesitatingly help, cutting through all our greed and selfishness. This is true strength. We are strong not because of what we have but who we are. The producer is much more valuable than the product. This is how men and women rise to the level of gods. And gods are immortal for a reason.
Therefore, seriously consider where we want to go. How and whether or not we'll succeed are inevitable because both are pre-determined by the kind of person we choose to be when we make that decision. ☯
But I think it's important I define what kindness actually is, and what it isn't.
Kindness isn't superficial greetings and simple gestures, like saying "Good morning," opening doors for people, picking up our own trash, not stealing, donating our surpluses, being understanding of mean people, and other similar actions. They are behaviors of maturity and necessary for organizations, communities, and societies to function properly.
Kindness is helping someone even when it is most inconvenient to us. Kindness is helping someone even when there is a real cost to us. Kindness is going out of our way to help because someone is suffering. (Whether they are truly suffering is another matter for another day.)
So kindness can come from the poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak to the richest of the rich and the strongest of the strong. Kindness can come from anywhere by anyone at anytime.
In other words, we may have little left or a lot more but we unhesitatingly help, cutting through all our greed and selfishness. This is true strength. We are strong not because of what we have but who we are. The producer is much more valuable than the product. This is how men and women rise to the level of gods. And gods are immortal for a reason.
Therefore, seriously consider where we want to go. How and whether or not we'll succeed are inevitable because both are pre-determined by the kind of person we choose to be when we make that decision. ☯
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