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. ☯

I'm sure many of you are wondering why am I continuing to discuss about George Westinghouse in a Sun Tzu site. It's because they parallel each other so well. For example, they were both unconcerned about their personal fame. This is an extremely rare trait, especially by those who have risen to power in society, yet refuse to continually seek validation of their power from others. They already know their true worth internally. And because of that rarity, it connects them both despite their separation of time and geography.

​This trait is explained in an excerpt from George Westinghouse's biography by Francis Leupp published in 1918, just four years after Westinghouse's death:

Another biographer, Jill Jonnes, thinks there are probably no more than 20 photographs of George Westinghouse. Compare this with at least hundreds if not thousands of photographs of Thomas Edison, who was born within a year of Westinghouse's birthdate.

Both biographers Francis Leupp and Henry Prout claimed George Westinghouse left virtually no personal letters (outside of the letters to his wife Marguerite).

Given that George Westinghouse died over 100 years ago, one can understand why he is mostly unknown by the general public today. But those who are educated know he existed. Now imagine if a similar personality lived 2500 years ago who shunned publicity in the same way. Even the educated might claim he never existed, which would be a great shame.

You can even say both Sun Tzu and Westinghouse are so well hidden they are formless. As any diligent student of Sun Tzu knows, being formless is powerful.

​So what is hidden cannot be forgotten when there is so much force behind the personalities of Sun Tzu and Westinghouse. As a movie title goes, they are crouching tigers and they are hidden dragons. They can't be held back. There is an undeniable desire to tell their stories. The power of their lives -- their humanity, wisdom, and accomplishments -- is simply too good to let go. They are national treasures that now belong to the world. ☯

Sun Tzu's Art of War is still being studied by military forces all around the world. And we know people also read Sun Tzu's Art of War to be successful in competitive environments like business.

Having started over 60 companies, George Westinghouse (1846-1914) is nothing short of an extraordinary businessman.

However, Westinghouse wasn't perfect. He took too much risk with credit and naively believed bankers had his interests and values in mind. After the financial crisis of 1907, Westinghouse would eventually lose control of his prized company, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.

But what Westinghouse didn't lose was the respect and admiration of his employees. Unlike the robber barons of the time, Westinghouse never had to contend with worker strikes because his workers were well paid, worked in safe plants, had weekends off, among other benefits. During the earlier financial crisis of 1890, his employees even proposed to cut their pay in half. After he died, his employees fully funded a memorial costing $3.5 million in today's dollars.

To learn more about Westinghouse, I highly advise you to read George Westinghouse: Powering the World, a brand new biography published this year by Dr. William Huber.

Westinghouse wasn't only admired at work by men like Nikola Tesla and his 60,000 employees; he was also admired at home by his wife of 47 years, Marguerite Erskine Walker Westinghouse. Like charity, success starts at home. A happy wife is a happy life. I have more clichés but I think you got the gist.

Modern leaders speak of work-life balance. Well, here is a man who lived well over 100 years ago who was a master of that balance. It would benefit many of us to learn how he lived his life.

Previously, I shared with you a handwritten letter from Westinghouse. I later learned there is only one other surviving handwritten letter to a recipient outside of his family (it was to a lawyer in 1874). It is believed that Westinghouse, a private person, had many of his personal letters destroyed before he died. Luckily, the ones that were saved were the best ones: the letters to his wife Marguerite.

"I hope you will get on nicely and when I arrive I may find you feeling well. Now darling I will close with fondest love and many kisses for little Georgie and for you. Ever your devoted husband, Geo."

"My darling wife I will now close this with fondest love for you and baby and please kiss him for me."

"I wrote you some days ago that if you could come here by May 20th I would like it; for darling I am so lonely I love you so fondly all of the time."

"Oh what a long day this has been to me and how I have desired to be with you and to see our little boy. I am sure you are both happy and that you are progressing well. I was very glad to get your telegram last night for I had not (and have not yet) got your letter. I think of you so often and wish you were here where the things look so lovely."

"Now darling sweet wife I will close with very fond love and affection for the sweetest and best wife that ever blessed man."

"It is bed time and I will now close with the best love a man is able to give a devoted and loving wife. Ever your own loving husband Geo."