#True Kindness

[historyineverything]

Poems of Nature by Henry David Thoreau Published in 1895 | Poem: "True K...

If you would like to read the full book, you can find many versions in your library or online. This book is in the public domain. You can find it on many sites. Ex. Wikisource and Project Gutenberg. Disclaimer: The book is available in the public domain and may contain some historical inaccuracy. I summarize the book to the best of my ability or highlight excerpts of interesting facts. If you would like to add information, advise a current article/book, and/or critically analyze the book, is welcome. Thank you.

[androgynealienfemme]

It didn’t hit me until recently that people genuinely think Kamala Harris was a police officer because of all the people who call her a cop online.

Like I think maybe it’s important people should know she was a prosecutor. She was once a district attorney and later an attorney general for the state of California. And we can discuss how related that is to police work and how tied she is to the carceral system etc etc (but for fairness would have to include her record of pushing for lowering incarceration rates through programs helping former prisoners + her office refusing to jail folks for low level weed offense). But she was never a police officer. Like people should get that clear. Kamala Harris was never a police officer. She was a district attorney. She was never a police officer.

[willabee]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

License to Kitty.

[malinastharlock]

(๑•ᴗ•๑)♡ awww the Devil is so sweet, look at 'em just tucking in a random naked human person for beddy-bi time. So precious. 🥹

[lntrusiveknock]

why do i feel like the kindest and truest thing i can possibly be is a loser?

[gay-otlc]

Idk I feel like "Men are responsible for their own actions, women aren't to blame for men being misogynistic" and "You do not have to tolerate bigotry from others, call them out on that shit" and "People may be less likely to become radicalized if they receive kindness and compassion" don't have to contradict each other

[thestuffedalligator]

So usually when an imaginary friend is a real thing in a story, it’s either a demon or a ghost or some supernatural boogeyman that probably wants to eat the kid they’ve befriended (Mama, a couple of the Paranormal Activity movies), or “imaginary friends” are just treated as a real thing in the setting, and if a child just thinks hard enough they can manifest a friend into existence (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Happy).

And somewhere in the middle is an area where the imaginary friend in question is real and they are supernatural, but they aren’t malevolent, and they aren’t entirely honest about what they are. Like maybe they’re a fairy or a god or some kind of boggle from mythology, but they just got caught by a six year old and they don’t have time to get into it, so they just go “…Yes. I’m your imaginary friend. We haven’t met. How do you do.” And then they stick around because they do love this kid, and if you’re a boggle from mythology in the modern day good food is really hard to come by.

And at some level. That’s what I think Hobbes is.

[beskad]

do something nice for yourself today, ideally MORE than one thing, but at least one.

it can be as small as making a cup of tea with a flavor you like or taking a second to sip on your coffee, really pay attention to how it tastes and the feeling of the warm cup in your hands.

take an extra break at work. take it in the bathroom if you have to, but give yourself that extra time. deep breaths.

get a little snack. something that you might not normally allow yourself.

[inkskinned]

because sometimes there are invisible tests and invisible rules and you're just supposed to ... know the rule. someone you thought of as a friend asks you for book recommendations, so you give her a list of like 30 books, each with a brief blurb and why you like it. later, you find out she screenshotted the list and send it out to a group chat with the note: what an absolute freak can you believe this. you saw the responses: emojis where people are rolling over laughing. too much and obsessive and actually kind of creepy in the comments. you thought you'd been doing the right thing. she'd asked, right? an invisible rule: this is what happens when you get too excited.

you aren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so you don't, but then you're too serious. you're not supposed to be too loud, but then people say you're too quiet. you aren't supposed to get passionate about things, but then you're shy, boring. you aren't supposed to talk too much, but then people are mad when you're not good at replying.

you fold yourself into a prettier paper crane. since you never know what is "selfish" and what is "charity," you give yourself over, fully. you'd rather be empty and over-generous - you'd rather eat your own boundaries than have even one person believe that you're mean. since you don't know what the thing is that will make them hate you, you simply scrub yourself clean of any form of roughness. if you are perfect and smiling and funny, they can love you. if you are always there for them and never admit what's happening and never mention your past and never make them uncomfortable - you can make up for it. you can earn it.

don't fuck up. they're all testing you, always. they're tolerating you. whatever secret club happened, over a summer somewhere - during some activity you didn't get to attend - everyone else just... figured it out. like they got some kind of award or examination that allowed them to know how-to-be-normal. how to fit. and for the rest of your life, you've been playing catch-up. you've been trying to prove that - haha! you get it! that the joke they're telling, the people they are, the manual they got- yeah, you've totally read it.

if you can just divide yourself in two - the lovable one, and the one that is you - you can do this. you can walk the line. they can laugh and accept you. if you are always-balanced, never burdensome, a delight to have in class, champagne and glittering and never gawky or florescent or god-forbid cringe: you can get away with it.

you stare at your therapist, whom you can make jokes with, and who laughs at your jokes, because you are so fucking good at people-pleasing. you smile at her, and she asks you how you're doing, and you automatically say i'm good, thanks, how are you? while the answer swims somewhere in your little lizard brain:

how long have you been doing this now? mastering the art of your body and mind like you're piloting a puppet. has it worked? what do you mean that all you feel is... just exhausted. pick yourself up, the tightrope has no net. after all, you're cheating, somehow, but nobody seems to know you actually flunked the test. it's working!

aren't you happy yet?

[silentscroll]

In the delicate balance of human relationships, caring can sometimes be a double-edged sword. It's a natural inclination to want to support and uplift those around us, yet often our gestures of kindness can be met with unexpected resistance or even hostility. This paradox of caring is a perplexing aspect of human interaction, leaving us questioning the boundaries of empathy and understanding. At the core of our desire to care lies a genuine intention to bring happiness and alleviate pain. We extend our hand in friendship, offer a shoulder to lean on, and lend an ear to listen. However, when our gestures of goodwill are met with anger or rejection, it can leave us feeling bewildered and disheartened. It's a reminder that despite our best intentions, we cannot control how others perceive or respond to our acts of kindness.

The frustration deepens when this pattern repeats itself, as if caught in an endless loop of misunderstanding. We wonder if it's something we're doing wrong, if our efforts are somehow misplaced or misguided. Yet, even in the face of uncertainty, the impulse to care persists, fueled by an innate sense of compassion and empathy.Navigating the complexities of caring requires patience and resilience. It's about learning to accept that despite our best efforts, we may not always receive the gratitude or appreciation we hope for. But perhaps therein lies the true test of our compassion – to continue extending kindness and support, even in the absence of acknowledgment or reciprocation.

Ultimately, the act of caring is not about expecting something in return, but rather about giving selflessly from the heart. It's about embracing the vulnerability that comes with reaching out to others, knowing that despite the risks, the ability to connect and empathize is what makes us truly human.

[stuckinapril]

lived my whole life in guilt bc i thought i was responsible for people's feelings. newly realizing that other people are responsible for their feelings and reactions, even if they make it seem like i'm the problem. a lot of the time it really has to do w them and their own emotional regulation. i can't keep thinking i'm not allowed to have space bc of other people's insecurities. like i literally refuse to dim myself. other people are responsible for their feelings just as i'm responsible for mine.

[daisyforyourthoughts]

In a world where an act of kindness is seen as the most selfish act, when to use or be used is expected, it is not the act of kindness that kills society, but the expectations born from being kind. The only way to change this is to find people willing to be kind, without exception or expectation, to prove that true kindness, and consequently true humanity, can exist and give way to unconditional, unbounded love.

[theribbajack]

"Now, the vow will be honoured, and my Lord brother's soul will return."

Radahn stans keep winning, but I personally am in Miyazaki's walls rn

[morganbritton132]

The cameras at the VMAs: *cut to Eddie Munson’s husband when he’s on stage to present an award*

Steve’s students, past and present, watching at home: Was that my math teacher??

[ominouspuff]

Fwoom (intimidatingly)