In today's day and age, every thing is fast, direct, and in your face. Manners, politeness, and general kindness are either taken for granted or manipulated for selfish gain. Or even better (or worse, depends on your viewpoint), you become That Weird Girl, the one who does favors and treats others while expecting nothing in return. What's wrong with her? There must be some tick or childhood trauma for her to behave that way....
Or even worse, many people think it's a façade. That that couldn't possibly be your true personality, that you put on a front for strangers, but behind closed doors.....
Is kindness really that antiquated? Please tell me I can be nice to you and you won't mistake it for flirtation or concealment of a deeper uglier being inside. And while we're speaking of flirtation, to what end should I dial down my look/style so that I don't appear "suggestive"? Clothing, jewelry, make-up is only an adornment. I have been flirted with while make-up free, third day into a cold, in sweatpants and a hoodie, and to be honest, not as polite as I normally am.
My point is that no matter how well we behave, people are going to treat us differently than how we would like to be treated. So in the end we have a choice: to be nice or not. There's scarcely any reward for kindness. In fact we often find ourselves not wanting to be genial when we just really really really do not like a person. We're not going to be tipped $10 for impersonating a doorman and holding the door open for an elderly man or giving up our seat to the exhausted woman who looks like she's having a hard day. But at night, as you wash the makeup off and brush your teeth, give yourself that mental high five. Yeah some people probably thought you were fresh off the farm, had something up your sleeve, naïve, or coming on to them, but you know your true intentions, as does God.
And as I sign off I'd like to leave you a few quotes that inspire me and I wish you a good day/evening (pick a time zone). I hope your day was wonderful.
:DO, Danie
"Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There is not a single outward mark of courtesy that doesn't have a deep moral basis."
-Goethe
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
-Eric Hoffer
"The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S's: Sincerity, Simplicity, Sympathy, and Serenity."
-Emily Post
Or even worse, many people think it's a façade. That that couldn't possibly be your true personality, that you put on a front for strangers, but behind closed doors.....
Is kindness really that antiquated? Please tell me I can be nice to you and you won't mistake it for flirtation or concealment of a deeper uglier being inside. And while we're speaking of flirtation, to what end should I dial down my look/style so that I don't appear "suggestive"? Clothing, jewelry, make-up is only an adornment. I have been flirted with while make-up free, third day into a cold, in sweatpants and a hoodie, and to be honest, not as polite as I normally am.
My point is that no matter how well we behave, people are going to treat us differently than how we would like to be treated. So in the end we have a choice: to be nice or not. There's scarcely any reward for kindness. In fact we often find ourselves not wanting to be genial when we just really really really do not like a person. We're not going to be tipped $10 for impersonating a doorman and holding the door open for an elderly man or giving up our seat to the exhausted woman who looks like she's having a hard day. But at night, as you wash the makeup off and brush your teeth, give yourself that mental high five. Yeah some people probably thought you were fresh off the farm, had something up your sleeve, naïve, or coming on to them, but you know your true intentions, as does God.
And as I sign off I'd like to leave you a few quotes that inspire me and I wish you a good day/evening (pick a time zone). I hope your day was wonderful.
:DO, Danie
"Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There is not a single outward mark of courtesy that doesn't have a deep moral basis."
-Goethe
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
-Eric Hoffer
"The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S's: Sincerity, Simplicity, Sympathy, and Serenity."
-Emily Post
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