There are people who say they are fed up with benevolence and good feelings when they are mentioned in the media. First of all, I'm not fed up with kindness. I would rather be fed up with selfishness, incivism and cynicism. There is still a lot of room for more kindness in our daily life and our society!
When you are benevolent, you do good to your neighbour, which is already a reason enough to be. But you also have to worry about yourself. You have to be careful. I'm not talking about complacency nor the pleasure that could be in being benevolent. But I'm talking about the condition of our body. Have you ever observed what state your body is when you think and act with kindness, love, affection? And conversely, did you take the time to observe in what state your anger, annoyance, meanness, envy, resentment put your body to? Yes, benevolence is good for those who receive it and also for those who issue it.
And then, beyond our little people, it is important for all forms of life in society. Benevolence helps to help each other to cope with hardship and adversity, to trust and appreciate each other. It embellishes human relationships as it is the source of respect, smile, politeness, listening to strangers, tenderness, comfort, affection and love for loved ones. If all of this doesn't exist, then what's the point of living?
So benevolence is very important. So important that perhaps we expect too much. A bit like with love, in the 60s and 70s when one thought, like the Beatles in 1967, that singing peace and love, could make them happen. Change the world through love and kindness! That would be nice, and that would be a nice way to do it. But unfortunately, goodwill is not enough.
It is a wonderful basis for human relationships, but it cannot be used as a political practice. Sadly, it does not set back either tyrants or terrorists. Its spread helps to change minds and habits. But what will make violence decline. What has been reducing violence in the world for centuries, since we know today that violence is on the decline. The emergence of organized and democratic states, trade and commerce has force people to talk to each other and had improve women's status, access to school and education.
But what has made daily life livable for centuries, since always we receive and give kindness regularly. Quite simply, it is the essential and indispensable component of all life in society.
