Why is kindness considered weakness?

I look around the world today and see so much disdain and degradation. When did the rallying cry for electoral candidates become “fight?” Why isn’t it “support,” or “create,” or “care for.”

Are those words too “passive?” Too feminine?

When did we all get behind the idea that to “care deeply” actually means to “fight.”

I get that you care deeply about the thing. I also care deeply about the thing, in a different way. The thing that we have in common is that we both care deeply. Why can’t we begin a conversation from there? Why does it seem that every subject, every conversation about issues important to us, begins with a square-up?

Tell me about what you want to build.

Share with me the vision of what you want to create, and I’ll hope it’s one that doesn’t leave out the people who disagree with you.

Leadership means leading all the people. You can’t lead only the ones you like, or who say “yes” to you, no matter what.

We need more kindness. We need people in power to lead with the idea of fashioning a world that fits all of us.

Kindness is good for us.

It’s isn’t weak, or powerless. It’s brave.

It takes work and strength and conviction to be kind in the face of “fight.” It’s a reimagining of how the world could work.

Why does it seem strange that the idea of kindness feel bold?

Because we don’t have enough of it. We live in a culture and society that values the “I” above all. We’re failing each other and in the process, we’re destroying community.

I don’t think it’s supposed to be like this. We could be better.

And while I know that there are people who profit from our pain and disagreement, what I don’t understand is why we keep handing them the microphone.

We could collaborate on solutions rather than fight about ideas.

We could find common ground rather than drawing lines in the sand.

We could stop mistaking ego and bravado for “caring deeply.” The sound and fury and the bluster aren’t genuine markers of ability, or depth or real concern. We need to finally learn this.

I don’t want to fight you. I don’t want to fight for you. I want us to have conversations. I want to learn about your “why” and I want to share mine. Perhaps if we better understood each other’s stories, the world could be a kinder place.

LB Adams is the CEO of Practical Dramatics, LLC and the author of “The Irreverent Guide to Spectacular Communication.”