Be Kind To One Another...Be loving and helpful to those in need.

Being human separates us in ways we take for granted.

We have an intuitive nature that gives us opportunities to act kindly towards our own kind...not savagely.

Of course as humans we all have a hint of the savage nature...absolutely we do. But, being human is what separates us from the savages of nature.

Be kind to one another. Show kindness to others. Try to love others...unconditionally.

As a human, I am far from perfect....really far from it.

Yet, Every day I wake up and try extremely hard to show kindness towards others....even those that prove otherwise unworthy.

With my own actions, I try to show my brother's and sister's of this world that I do love and care about each and every one of you.

We are imperfect from birth...all of us are.

Yet, we are all still stuck here in this world....together.

I'm not here to judge you. I may not agree or understand but, I'm not here to judge.

I will do my best to be kind and loving.

I will try my best to continue to love and be kind to you ALL.

Please...all of you: try to be kind, loving and helpful.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric
I share your exact sentiments. I try and help at least 1 person with something, somewhere...no matter how trivial it may seem...once everyday. I try to exude kindness expecting nothing in return.

That's why I volunteer as well. I don't do it for the recognition...I do it to make some little difference to someone who needs it...and doesn't ask.

Thanks for this thread....MS

I encourage people to do the same, I agree with the sentiment but people are not all wired the same if ya know what I'm saying.... Some people have a few crossed wires and a couple short circuited. In an ideal world this is what we all strive for but people go through things and do things for reasons we may never fully comprehend..

Unconditional love will win in the long run. I, myself, am an imperfect being. I am very capable, and well adept, at cruelty and violence. I choose to love as an act of will. It is difficult at times. You know Bob Ross, one of the sweetest characters ever, was a drill seargent at a point in his life. He snapped to his senses, and vowed to never be mean again and moved on to painting happy clouds. The world was made better. Try doing one nice thing for a stranger every day. I promise it will make you happier.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Thanks for getting it. Be love. Personify it. In all that you do and all who you interact with, be love.

If every person loved one another as we do our own siblings, children, or parents, the world would be an even more amazing place to spend a few lifetimes in.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

I agree with your beautiful message...and it is something I work on daily. I frequently think of the saying..."treat others as you would like to be treated."

So I think...if I was hungry...would I want someone to feed me? If I needed a listening ear...would a stranger listen? If I smiled at someone...would I get a smile back?

Kindness is such a precious gift that we all can give to those we know and don't know...daily.

Don't take your loved ones for granted...even though you know they love and care about you...be kind to them and show them respect...don't think you can treat them rudely and with anger...their love for you is precious...don't abuse it.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric
I share your exact sentiments. I try and help at least 1 person with something, somewhere...no matter how trivial it may seem...once everyday. I try to exude kindness expecting nothing in return.

That's why I volunteer as well. I don't do it for the recognition...I do it to make some little difference to someone who needs it...and doesn't ask.

Thanks for this thread....MS

The most interesting thing that I've discovered over the years is the simplicity of it all.

It takes so little to express so much.

And as you said, it's not for recognition or praise...it's just the simple act of giving back to others.

Good thread. It is important to note that we are not the only animals that display this tendency. Watch the robins, they seem to make nesting communities sometimes. Same with other birds. Displaying civility to others of their kind is a trait of many in the animal kingdom. Even bees will display friendship to other bees from other hives.

Humans are competitive, but we still can be civil. We should treat others as we would want them to treat us....unless they abuse the situation. Now, if someone in your family is going in the wrong direction, it is your job to kind of subtly steer them into the right direction. Yelling at them could drive them farther away. we cannot just agree with our good friends and family if they are going astray, we must try to guide them back on the path. Someone can be hijacking their minds and drawing them in the wrong direction. Sometimes it is society or even some overzealous religions. Their desires can also cause them to stray, yet society pushes these desires as normal when they really aren't. Simple things like someone without much money spending their food money on makeup and expensive clothes is ridiculous, yet to be accepted sometimes makeup and expensive clothes are important in some circles. We are being led astray.

originally posted by: miss_sky
I encourage people to do the same, I agree with the sentiment but people are not all wired the same if ya know what I'm saying.... Some people have a few crossed wires and a couple short circuited. In an ideal world this is what we all strive for but people go through things and do things for reasons we may never fully comprehend..

Of course.

Absolutely we are all wired differently. I certainly don't expect everyone to go out and immediately perform an act of kindness.

In a perfect and ideal world, it would happen. But, we both live in the "real world" and we both know it just isn't going to play out that way.

I just feel that it's sometimes worth putting myself and my feelings out in the open.... in hopes that like minded people will be able to relate...and perhaps even take like minded action if they don't already.

Maybe provide a bit of balance in this crazy world. Who knows?

a reply to: skunkape23

I had absolutely no idea about Bob Ross's past as a drill sergeant! How bizarre!

Goes to show that people can change their ways.

I think we all struggle with anger and violent tendencies in our own ways...some more severe that others but, like you and everyone else, we are imperfect human beings.

Trying to better myself is a challenge I have to deal with every single day.

a reply to: Cuervo

Thanks for your reply.

I couldn't agree with you any more.

a reply to: caladonea

As most, I'm guilty of taking my loved ones for granted. I try to be aware but, some days I fail miserably.

The one thing my husband and I do every day...multiple times a day, is tell each other and our two boys that we love them.

At every departure, at the end of a phone call and at just random moments through out our days.

"I love you"

My youngest son and I have a little game we play. We'll just out of the blue say it to each other (I love you) and the first person to say "I LOVE YOU MORE!" some how wins.



Greatest game ever!

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Of course I agree, simply look at my signature. May I ask a few "Devil's Advocate" questions though? (By the way, did you know that there actually is an office in the Church for Devil's Advocates? That's not their real title, but they're sometimes called that.)

Why should I be kind to others? Why should I care about some stranger's feelings? What rule is there that says "I should?" Granted, it's nice and fuzzy, but what if I don't like nice and fuzzy, I'm not going to give away any of my time or goods. I can make it with what I've got, I don't need someone to be "nice" to me. I can hire doctors and lawyers if I need to. Heck, I can even hire a woman if I need to.

Saying "It's nice to be nice," doesn't cut it. Give me some overarching rule that says I can't do what I want.

(I shouldn't have to say this, but it is ATS. The above is not my position, although the questions are valid.)

originally posted by: charles1952
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Of course I agree, simply look at my signature. May I ask a few "Devil's Advocate" questions though? (By the way, did you know that there actually is an office in the Church for Devil's Advocates? That's not their real title, but they're sometimes called that.)

Why should I be kind to others? Why should I care about some stranger's feelings? What rule is there that says "I should?" Granted, it's nice and fuzzy, but what if I don't like nice and fuzzy, I'm not going to give away any of my time or goods. I can make it with what I've got, I don't need someone to be "nice" to me. I can hire doctors and lawyers if I need to. Heck, I can even hire a woman if I need to.

Saying "It's nice to be nice," doesn't cut it. Give me some overarching rule that says I can't do what I want.

(I shouldn't have to say this, but it is ATS. The above is not my position, although the questions are valid.)

Before I answer let me just say this....I already like you. Your signature is great but, you had me at the "Devil's Advocate" question.

Then, you took it up a notch further with the whole "office for the 'Devil's Advocate'..

I did not know that.

So, to answer your questions based on my opinion and experiences, You shouldn't Have to be kind or nice to people/strangers.

Having to be kind/nice implies that there is NO choice...And that's exactly what the act of kindness is...It a choice.

There isn't a rule that says we have to be nice to others.

It's something one chooses to do for themselves....for whatever reason.

People also make a choice to be rude and nasty...for reason's of their own.

What ever works.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Dear MagesticEsoteric,

Thanks for your kind response. I did get a little carried away with the "Devil's Advocate" business, but sometimes my mind just refuses to be controlled and it goes off for a romp in the woods, making outrageous connections and collecting butterflies.

You might be a little familiar with the practice of the Catholic Church of declaring certain individuals to be saints. That is, the Church is saying that they're recognizing that a person is in Heaven with God. To get to that point, there are very strict requirements to be met. One of those is a thorough investigation of that person's life, writings, and any other information that can be discovered.

As the Church does not want to make an error in these cases, they send out an investigator to try to find out all possible information about the proposed saint, back through childhood. That information goes to the Vatican and is studied along with all other information turned up. The official who then argues against sainthood is familiarly known as the Devil's Advocate. (Technical name: Promotor fidei)

Switching back to the subject of the thread, You're absolutely right about the importance and value of love, but I think a stronger case can be made for being loving than "whatever works."

My difficulty with "whatever works" is that it allows people to say, "Well, I happen to like hatred, so that's what I'll do. It works for me and there is no real reason to be loving." I do believe there is more support for loving than whatever the individual feels like doing. That further support is in tao, or Natural Law, or Conscience, or whatever you choose to call it. Hating is a stepping off of that path, and everyone (who isn't mentally defective) knows it, if they stop to reflect.

Oh, they'll find someway to rationalize hatred, maybe the need for more and more money, or defeat their political enemies, but when all the noise clears away they know what's right.

With respect,
Charles1952