Kindness versus Stupidity
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Kindness is the act of love and affection often expressed in the form of any simple deed.

Stupidity is the act of foolishness and lack of intelligence, often also, manifested in the form of a deed.

Two very simple and different acts are often confused by many people. An act of kindness, seen as a deed of stupidity and vice versa. In this world, many people often than not, mistake, or deliberately, see another person's kindness as an act of foolishness. Kindness is treated as an achille's heel in these modern days. What is to be done of this? Are we to forsake our hearts and only operate solely for survival and on our instincts? Will we then not go back to pre-historic times where our fore-fathers were merely mortals, barbarians at the most. Have we come this far through all the years of creation and advancement only to lose our hearts and perhaps our soul?

How many people in this world claim to have a kind heart? Now, the answer would surely be the majority. Many a times, we speed through the train stations and pass by a beggar on the street. Our hearts for that very split moment in time, flutters and feels this pang of sympathy and sorrow. For that moment in time, you think about how life has been so good to you and you have been endowed with so many blessings. You have clothes on your body, you have food in your stomach, you have limps on your trunk, surely you must be blessed. That moment lasts, just as it says, a moment. You walk on by and the sweet smell from the bakery near by takes away all troubles. The splendid clothes in the display window gets you wondering how great it would be to be able to be in one of those. Sympathy has gone and a sense of self pity takes over. "Why am I so useless? Why am I so poor? Why can't I have all the things I want?" So, for the majority who had answered "yes" to being kind, think about what you have been kind for.

Many a times, it is the simplest and most meaningless stuff that shows how kind a person is. Of course, giving money to charities are a good think and you should carry on doing so. However, if you have any evil intents or ulterior motives for donating, that surely is not being kind. In fact, that would be more appropriately known as a bribe. You then bribe anyone you might argue but did you not bribe your own conscience or "whoever is up there"?

Sometimes, just willing to help another person to do stuff - wash his clothes, provide a listening ear, or even just being there - can make a difference in another person's life. That is what I call true kindness. Kindness can never be something you do for you to gain satisfaction or credit. Kindness must be given and it must be manifested on the person or thing receiving it.

Unfortunately, many people make use of a person's kindness to exploit them. Perhaps they lie to you to try to borrow money and after which, delay payment. Perhaps they keep asking you to do all the little things and "shit" jobs, because they know you just cannot refuse. Do you feel used? Even if you do, what would you do about it? Absolutely nothing. Yar, you would not even try to do it, cos' you don't want to start a fight or an argument with anyone. Now, that's stupidity.

Basically, kindness and stupidity threads a very fine line. So fine, that alot of people just assume they are the same. However, I like to take note of the difference and ensure that I do not cross over from either side.

Be kind, not stupid