Ask HN: How to be kind?

agree, i would add self-reflect. because you can't know someone else if you don't know yourself. And you can't treat someone like you would like to be treated, if you dont know what you like and how you'd like to be treated.

In the end i look at it this way, but thats a personal belief based on what i noted above: > be honest (honesty over kindness anyday) > analyse your actions, thoughts etc. and look at if they are 'giving' or 'taking'.

In my beliefs it's easy. you get what you give and they take what you take. so if you focus on giving, you will end up getting and vice versa.

Random guy once said to me and it stuck: "I listen to the whispers of the universe, so the universe doesn't have to scream." This has to do with suffering, but i think this is related to the topic of being kind, as people often become unkind due to suffering (the stress makes it difficult to learn and understand (it==someone in this case), which makes it difficult to be kind.)

In either case, 'kindness' is subjective, so decide for yourself what it means, what do YOU think is kindness, when do YOU think someone is kind to you? It's a personal view / decision which many people have their own ideas (or just assume ideas from otheres.)Some people want to be kind to one person, and use that as a reason to be unkind to the next. Some people think it's kind to tell lies (think honesty might hurt), thats all opinions. i'd say honesty and giving is the way to go personally, even if it means someone might get hurt by it (as that pain will be shorted lived than a lie which will accumulate energy and hurt a lot later on...)