Learning the Virtues That Lead You to God by Romano Guardini

Author:Romano Guardini
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Spirituality, faith, Christianity, Catholicism, Religion
ISBN: 9780918477644
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Published: 1998-03-01T21:47:46+00:00

Kindness

In this chapter, we shall speak of a virtue which is easily neglected because it is reserved, inconspicuous, and quiet; that is, the virtue of kindness. How often we speak of love! It challenges us, for it is noble and radiant. But we should speak of it less often—that would be better for it—and instead should speak of that which our callous age needs so sorely: kindness.

This word often misleads us to regard what it designates in a derogatory fashion, to misunderstand kindness as mere good nature, which is certainly nothing very valuable. Good nature is passivity, which lets things take their course; or indolence, which avoids conflict; or even stupidity, which believes anything. But kindness is something deep and strong, and for that reason, it is not easy to define.

Let us attempt it in this way: a kind person is one who is well disposed toward life. But can one be ill disposed toward life? Yes, indeed, especially if we are dealing not so much with overt actions as with the disposition behind them, which may perhaps escape our notice.

It may be that a person desires to dominate others. He says that he desires their best interests, but actually what he wishes is to dominate. Such a person is not well disposed toward life, for life is smothered in the grasp of tyranny. Many a domestic tragedy results from the fact that one person wishes to dominate others. It may be the husband or the wife, a son or a daughter. True kindness allows to life a proper space and freedom of movement; it even gives and provides these, for only in this way can life grow and develop.

Or it may be that a person is resentful toward life. He thinks that he has suffered an injustice; his expectations have been disappointed; his claims have been disregarded. This may perhaps really be the case, and he should try to make the best of the possibilities that remain. But he cannot overcome the feeling of resentment, and he takes revenge. “They are all like that,” he says, because one was like that. “There is no justice,” he says, because he thinks he has not been given justice. Kindness pardons, for it is magnanimous and releases the offender; it trusts and always allows life to begin anew.

Much unkindness results from envy. Many a poor person sees another man enjoying his wealth. In some way or another, everyone feels that others have what he lacks. If he cannot accept this fact, becomes bitter, and envies the other his possessions, then his mind is poisoned and he becomes an enemy of life. Kindness can look beyond itself; it does not begrudge to others what it lacks. In fact, it can even rejoice with the others. We might mention many similar things.

Kindness means that a person is well disposed toward life. Whenever he encounters a living being, the kind man’s first reaction is not to mistrust and criticize but to respect, to value, and to promote development.

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