Daily Cascade

On Choosing Compassion

Prompt:
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. "
Plato
Write about this quote in your Blog entry today.

---------

Since I promised myself, a very long time ago, to look at events and people through rose-colored glasses, so to speak. Accordingly, I hope, being unkind doesn't apply to me. Yet, I wouldn't let anyone walk all over me, either.

In fact, I try not to fight or say unkind words to anyone if I can help it. This may also be because I had no siblings and I never learned to fight properly. In everyday dealings with other people, though, I know it is important to hold my ground while paying attention to compassion and empathy, and I guess this is what Plato (or whoever?) may have meant. I say "whoever" due to the possibility that Plato's or other peoples' quotes might have shifted over time or were attributed to different origins.

In any case, this quote calls for a pause before we respond harshly to anyone. This is because inside each person lies a struggle we may not see or understand, such as pain, worry, grief, or pressure. Before making a quick judgment, therefore, it may be a good idea to hold back from making unkind, wrong, and complicated assumptions. Instead, we may even offer understanding, if only because we know that some people hide their pain behind smiles and easy conversations.

By acting with understanding, we may not be able to solve everyone’s battles, but we can make their fight a little less lonely by offering empathy and compassion. Choosing kindness, then, may mean choosing connection and accepting others' humanity.