Original Facebook Post – September 24, 2013
My final assignment for my Social Psychology class required me to complete and document a Day of Compassion…where we had to live more compassionately for a 24 hour period. We had to do it covertly, so we could get genuine reactions from the people we encountered. Initially I was going to blow it off because it sounded like too much work for points I didn’t really need, and I am compassionate by nature, so I didn’t think there was much more I could be doing. However, as the deadline approached, I became curious enough to try it. When it was finished, and I sat down to analyze the results and write my essay, I was forced to admit some disappointing truths about myself. While I AM a compassionate person, and would do anything for those I love, I am kind of a cunt when it comes to people I dislike or disagree with. Though I am still one to lend a hand, I am mentally dismissive with their thoughts and opinions, even if I physically feign interest. I had to put an actual effort into listening to what they were saying so that I could give genuine responses, instead of one of the handful of generic ones I usually default to because I wasn’t really listening to what they were saying, and didn’t want to encourage conversation. I’ve been a pretty decent judge of character my whole life, and kind of left things at that for most people. I never really put much thought into how their undesirable character came to be. Just as I had learned compassion from witnessing the depth of my parents compassion growing up, maybe some of these people, that I generally viewed as terrible, are so by chance, not choice. And if so, perhaps they just need to be subjected to a little more positive energy, and kindness to put that back into the universe. I had to admit that my sarcastic remarks and disregard weren’t really working toward making this world a better place. Of course some people are just awful people, but taking the time to know someone well enough to distinguish between the inherently good and evil could make all the difference. I am glad I decided to partake in this experiment. For the most-part no one noticed a dramatic change in my behavior. It mostly resulted in longer conversations with people that walked away with smiles instead of in a huff. Admittedly, it feels good to make people feel good, regardless of who they are, but for me the greater result is the opportunity I have to grow from this experience. I will always be snarky in jest, that is part of who I am. Going forward though, my hope is to take enough time to get to know who people are at their core, and to treat them with equal parts understanding and kindness…until I have to cut them. ♥
