Thursday, December 31, 2015

Kindness


Kindness

As we start a new year, we typically hope it will be a good one. In my humble opinion, one way to make it a good year is to focus on our own expressions of genuine kindness.

Kindness is a big word. Its synonyms provide a little insight into the vast nature of kindness.

One who is compassionate expresses a propensity for sympathy & mercy.

Benevolence implies altruism, a charitable nature, the tendency to be looking out for others more than oneself, & a stalwart commitment to doing good.

One who is benign is gentle & mild.

A gracious person exudes a kind warmth, a courteous elegance, & shows a propensity for tact, charm, & good taste.

Someone who is thoughtful is contemplative & encourages the well-being & happiness of others.

Those who have an innately kind disposition or character are said to be kindhearted or kindly.

One who is courteous shows gracious consideration toward others & displays good manners & etiquette.

One who is sympathetic shows a susceptibility to the feelings of others & sometimes an altruism inspired by that susceptibility.

One who is empathetic has the capacity to understand others’ points of view & can strongly identify with another’s situation & emotions.

Here’s to a new year filled with all the many facets of kindness.



Big thanks to this week’s sources Thesaurus.com, The 1959 Webster’s New World Dictionary, Wordnik, Merriam-Webster & the OED

8 comments:

  1. I especially love this subject ... so important to humanity.
    Always great to read your essays. I love reading them.
    And on my birthday too.
    Makes it extra special.

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  2. Hey Christie - happy birthday - may the coming year be filled with kind people. Thanks for coming by.

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  3. Yay for Kindness!!!

    Gwen

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  4. I love the line in Auld Lang Syne about "drinking a cup of kindness." What a great sentiment for the New Year! Let's drink to more kindness, courteousness, thoughtfulness and benevolence in 2016!

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  5. Dearest Miss Allen,
    Amen to that. I'll drink a cup of kindness any day.

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  6. Ah...to have all of these qualities would be so grand! Even a few would be grand. May we all strive to be kind, gracious and thoughtful in 2016.

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  7. I like all the varied nuances of kindness. There are so many ways to be kind. Thanks, Charlie.

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  8. And you, Vickie, move gracefully through all those ways.

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