Powering on with Kindness
Hello Kind People,
A warm welcome to our new subscribers. Hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe. As life slowly restores in my part of the world, there is a sudden hurry to live it all in these brief moments of semblance. The thing about events of these proportion is that there is something running in the our minds constantly. Some of these are nudges to become better, to learn something new, to find a new paycheck, to survive and also to be kind to people around us. My nudge is to be able to share my views and finds on the larger theme of kindness. Hope it is worth your time. Do drop in a comment or a note to me on your views, suggestions and feedback on this newsletter.
Our Kind Find of The Week :
During my research, I came across this beautiful concept of Omoiyari (おもいやり). It is practiced in Japan.
Omoi ( 思 い ) in omoiyari refers to “a thought; mind; heart; feelings; an emotion; sentiment”, while yari (やり) is the noun form of the verb yaru (やる) which means “sending something to others.” It means “sending one’s heart to others.” It is the dictionary meaning.
Many Japanese researchers tend to agree that omoiyari should be defined as “psychological movement to think about/to send one's heart out to others” (tasha ni omoi o haseru to iu shiriteki na idō – 他者に思いを馳せるという心理的な移動) rather than “behavior; action” (kōdō – 行動) (Sakai, 2006, pp. 146).
Let me try and explain it through an example :
There were thousands of volunteers that were working around the globe helping people impacted by Covid 19. The support that was extended was varied. Some people were caring for the elderly by delivering essentials while others picked other areas which required support. The emotions and thought alignment compelled us to take action instead of watching from the sidelines. But what if this is a more regular part of our lives through simpler actions. This is what the Omoiyari means for the Japanese society. It is active action wherever possible. “doujou” is the passive part of empathy, where you are unable to do anything.
If you have visited Japan, you would probably relate to it better. I read that in buses and travel, they always check on the person sitting behind before reclining their seats. That is Omoiyari. What if this is concept was second nature to the 7 billion of us in the world, maybe someday.
And if you like to listen to music, there is a song on omoiyari by Kishi Bashi, who is an American singer.
Random Fact for the Week :
A study published on Thursday (Sept. 29) in Scientific Reports suggests that dogs and humans share some of the genes associated with social behavior. There are certain genes that we share and probably that would explain the affinity between dog and humans. And many a times, they do a better job. Check out this hero !
Reflection for the Week :
“Look for a way to lift someone up. And if that’s all you do, that’s enough.” - Elizabeth Lesser
Some Good News :
The Gentle Project - All About Kindness podcast is here.
It is live on 7 platforms.
Our next episode drops this Sunday. Watch it out. A simple and innocent conversation on the way.
Our poster of the week by yours truly :
If you liked our newsletter, do spread the good news and share it with your friends. If you have ideas and suggestions, please do send us a note kindnessissuper@gmail.com.
If you want to read more views and stories, do drop by at the our website. Be back next Wednesday with some news:)
Stay Kind and Stay Safe.