Q&A for How to Be Kind

Try to slow down and pay attention to your thoughts. Write down your unhelpful thoughts in a thought log and replace them with better ones. For example, you may think that you're not improving in your career. Write that down and then replace the thought with a kinder one, such as "I am getting better every day." Writing down nice things about yourself can help you start to believe things about yourself you don't yet believe.

Stand up for the person being bullied and offer to be their friend.

There are so many ways to be kind. Smiling at someone is kindness; letting someone borrow something is kindness; complimenting another person is kindness; sometimes just listening is kindness. The list goes on, you have many, many options.

Because you're trying to take the higher road. Don't respond to evil with evil, but with good. This sets you apart.

Being kind means being kind to everyone, especially those who are jealous and mean. This makes you a better person, and allows you to rise above them. If you are mean back, you just lower yourself to their level. Being kind is always the right choice.

Just tell them how you feel and why. It shouldn't hurt anyone's feelings as long as you're not insulting them.

Being kind for the sake of being kind doesn't require appreciation in return. If you place a condition on kindness, then it's not really being kind. There are many reasons why people aren't instantly or obviously appreciative, including astonishment, exhaustion, slowness to respond, obtuseness, quiet appreciation, etc. Some people are rude but that just means more kindness is needed. It may also help you to understand that it's more about your karma, not theirs, without being a doormat, of course.

You can be kind and logical at the same time. The truth does not always have to be harsh. Try to word what you say more carefully and consider other's feelings.

If you feel this way, you need to start by being kind to yourself first. You're projecting what you feel deep inside about yourself -- empty and without self care. Spend some time caring for your own self and needs first, perhaps getting counseling for unresolved issues that are holding you back from being your best self. When you learn to love yourself and take good care of you, then you'll find it much easier to be kind to others.

Recognize your emotional state and find ways to calm yourself: deep breaths, taking some alone time, et cetera. Focus entirely on the other person. If you're too upset to handle it, say "I'm upset and I can't be a good listener right now." Give yourself patience and time, and don't push things before you're ready.

This is a very good quality indeed.

If you feel like someone is using you, tell them your feelings directly. If they are your friend, they will not be mad at you for sharing your opinion. If you're having trouble staying calm around this person, you may want to take a break from spending time with them.

Rise above and do your best to remove those people from your life. Dealing with not nice people isn't always fun or fair, but you will thank yourself for staying true to your kind self.

No, you're never too old. Everyone of every age can benefit from being kinder. If you've been mean your whole life, it might take people some time to adjust to your change of heart, but it's worth it!

Be true to yourself, your interests, and your passions. Don't worry about what others might think or say. Treat yourself as well as you do others, and be kind to yourself.

Maybe they don't have enough love in their life to be able to give any themselves. There are many things going on with people that we don't know about. Just try to be kind anyways -- you may encourage someone else to change their demeanor in time.

Start by donating to charities, recycling, and being nice to people you meet. Also, try getting involved in you community. Generally, try to do something to make the world just a little better everyday.

It's not so much about learning kindness as about unlearning all the defensiveness that socializing teaches us. We feel safer being defensive and self/family protective, and this is part of our ancient ancestral understandings that enhance survival. Kindness often forces us to put ourselves in other people's shoes, to understand where they're coming from even if we don't usually think like them. It also requires a spirit of generosity and care for strangers, which can sometimes be difficult when we worry about our own/own family's needs. Yet, kindness begets kindness, so it is often through seeing others' kindness that we learn it has beneficial, supportive and caring outcomes that each of us aspires to in the greater scheme of life.

Simply agree to disagree. Accept the fact that every individual has their own opinion and perspective of the world. The most important thing in this situation is that you maintain your optimistic attitude and not let others change it. Try to explain your methods of thinking to those individuals, and if they still don't get it, then just don't worry about them.

You could try sharing your feelings with them so they can empathize and talk with you about them. If nothing else, try to remember that the person you're speaking with doesn't need or deserve to be the target of your anger.

Don't do it. Think about how you would feel if someone did you physical harm. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. If you have these thoughts often and you worry you won't be able to control your actions, please seek help from a therapist, counselor, etc.

Try performing a hidden act of kindness. Leave a card for someone without them knowing. Or save time for someone by doing them a favor.

Don't get embarrassed. Apologize if needed, and do your best to not let it happen again.

If you are truly being kind, you're not being fake. Understand your true inner worth and potential, and don't let false fantasies get in the way of socialization.

In most cases, you should (calmly and politely) express how you're feeling about the situation, and how you'd like things to change. However, if you're a child and your parents or teachers are bossing you around, you pretty much just have to deal with it. They usually know what's best for you.

Just avoid them and defend yourself if needed, but being kind back could allow them to recognize that they are being unkind. Your behavior might encourage them to change for the better! Don't let yourself be taken advantage of though. If someone is consistently mean to you, then you should do your best to avoid that person entirely.

If you've tried talking about your feelings with the person and they refuse to change, yes, you should break up. Don't stay with someone who makes you unhappy.

What I don't like about your question it the ''always''. Having times when you're angry, sad or maybe just stressed is just as necessary as being happy and kind. Just tell the people around you what you've just told me in your question, and it'll be easier for them to deal with your behavior. Don't try to push your feelings down completely. It might work at first, but over time, it'll only make things worse. It's better to just be a little angry sometimes than to explode in a big amount of anger once. You won't learn how to deal with your feelings if you don't accept them as a part of yourself.

The quote from Princess Diana doesn't say that we are sure the kindness will come back to us, it says that we know it's a possibility. The implication is that this is because the best of humanity is kind, and that kindness affects all of us. Forgiving others when they hate us is not a miracle, although people who CAN forgive in this situation may appear angelic compared to the rest of us!

There are plenty of kind acts that are suitable for children. You can start by smiling, complimenting people, and sharing things.