It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all along and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than “try to be a little kinder.”
It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all along and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than “try to be a little kinder.”
ALDOUS HUXLEY
Kindness is the salve that keeps humanity whole. It is the bond that is found throughout the animal kingdom in circumstances where various species are able to connect with one another through non antagonistic circumstances.
Kindness converts people from strangers to friends. Sometimes with a single word, gesture or act. Kindness is a common bond that transcends all languages, cultures, religions and beliefs. In a vacuum, kindness is always the behavior that breaks the barrier and delivers a newfound equilibrium between the two parties.
In business, I have made a career out of trying to offer the first act of kindness or generosity in the outset of a business relationship. Life has granted me so many wonderful opportunities to both learn from others, as well as connect with them. In the course of connecting with so many people, I make it a point to introduce them to others who may equally benefit from their expertise or connections.
On a personal level, I have found that going out of my way to find kind things to do for others, or to share with others, is a great step in building lifelong bonds that matter. You may never realize how or why something small you have done for another has grown to mean so much to them. Conversely, I would ask you to consider five kind things that others have done for you that have markedly changed your existence in ways that they may never have realized. And if you are so inclined, drop them a note, text or phone call and share that realization with them. Because kindness begats kindness.
Huxley is best known for Brave New World. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story’s protagonist.
While it is ranked number 5 on the list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century, and number 53 in the top 100 greatest novels of all time, it remains on the American Library Association list of the top 100 banned and challenged books.
Such is the state of being both thoughtful and controversial.
Happy Tuesday!
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