Why It's Important to Be Kind: Especially in a Pandemic by Melissa Varvaro Translated by Evan Swanson

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Everyone has bad days. You know those days where nothing good seems to be going your way? It puts you down, makes you upset, and sometimes, allows you to project those feelings onto others. But, nothing good comes out of being mean to someone else. Why would you stop being a good person simply because things are not in your favor? Sure, you don’t necessarily have to be jolly all the time, but, kindness isn’t that expensive. Being courteous to your cashier, driver in front of you on the road, or maybe even a coworker isn’t as difficult as it might seem at that moment.

You never know what anyone is going through. Someone might be having the absolute worst day of their life, and you wouldn’t even realize it. Why? Because maybe they’re working a full-time job and have to slap a smile on their face to ensure a satisfactory customer service attitude. Or, maybe someone is simply concealing their pain because that’s what considered appropriate. Whatever the context might be, it doesn’t hurt to be kind, especially in such a distressed world already. 

Kindness might appear small, but it can perform wonders. Maybe your one act of kindness led to someone not falling off the edge. Maybe it made someone feel a little more at ease. Maybe, one positive comment was just what someone needed to hear for a better day. Truthfully, you don’t know what one act of kindness can do for someone, and since the cost of it seems more beneficial than harmful to someone, it’s worth a try. 

Sometimes, it’s easier to put yourself in someone’s shoes. If you were having a troublesome day, and someone were to yell at you,or demonstrate rudeness in any way, shape, or form, you would probably feel worse. This feeling of misery is likely something you would not want to wish on another individual. That being said, it sounds easier than it might be. When things don’t go our way, it’s easier to jump off the wagon and be rude to someone who doesn’t deserve it. It’s easier to make someone else feel miserable the same way we do. Whether we would like to believe it or not, being kind takes effort. But, so does being voluntarily mean. 

There’s no use in being unkind for no apparent reason. Sometimes, the meanest people appear to have the greatest things, and it can be harmful for people to witness this. They might think, “Why would I remain a good person if I’m not getting nearly as much as I want out of life, as that person over there who is always mean?”. As stated before, people don’t always have everything together. Nothing is always as it seems. Maybe they are disagreeable because they are truly suffering inside, but you wouldn’t know this because they demonstrate perfection in their exterior. Their interior is far more important. This is why it’s important to stay kind in what sometimes appears to be a very cruel and judgemental world. 

This pandemic has brought suffering to everyone in one way or another. Times are difficult right now regardless of everyone’s individual circumstances. But, beyond that, you don’t know what someone is battling on top of this pandemic. Someone might have lost their job, had their hours cut, or are isolated for a while from loved ones. Maybe a loved one is suffering from stress and unemployment. Maybe a family member is sick. You don’t know what is going on in anyone’s life. If you were to be bad-tempered to someone who didn’t deserve it, it might be more detrimental to them than you realize. Not everyone is perfect. We can’t be kind all the time. But, as much as we can, have empathy. Kindness can make someone’s day, especially when the recipient is hurting inside. 

So, if you have nothing nice to say, refrain from saying a hurtful comment. Don’t be selfish and project your distress onto someone else. Remember that someone might be experiencing trouble or loss, and being mean is just harmful in that of itself. If you put negativity into the world, you often are reciprocated with negativity. Being unfair to someone will probably produce a negative reaction from them to you. How does that benefit you? Wouldn’t it be relieving to be kind and feel that same positivity from someone else? You won’t know until you put into action. And, maybe you won’t even receive as kind as a response as you had hoped, but you know deep down inside that you tried your best. Your effort is all that matters. 

Kindness never usually hurts. Times are tough, and you might feel like giving up, but consider that someone else might feel the same way. You both are finding a means to rise up. So, take a step back, evaluate your decisions, and give back to others what you hope to receive.