3 weeks ago
Being considerate means kindness with awareness of others' feelings
A grown-up went on a trip to the hills for a class.
There they met new friends.
One day, a new friend put a slice of cake into their bag as a surprise.
The cake meant, "We went out and we thought of you."
This made the person feel very happy and cared for.
During the trip, it was raining very hard at their home in Mumbai, and water was leaking in.
The person is a therapist, which means they help people talk about their feelings.
They explain that being considerate means being kind and also thinking about how other people feel.
Sometimes people are kind but still not considerate.
Small thoughtful acts like the cake can make a big difference in how we feel.
During a solo trip to the hills for a workshop, a new friend quietly slipped a wrapped slice of cake into the author's bag.
The author, coordinating with family about a leaking Mumbai home during torrential rains, found the gesture deeply moving.
The act conveyed "We went out, and we thought of you" on a day that felt particularly difficult.
The author, a therapist, distinguishes consideration from kindness: consideration adds awareness of the other person's thoughts and feelings.
In her practice, clients report that an absence of consideration in friendships, workplaces, and intimate relationships is what hurts them.
- Who
- An unnamed therapist (the essay's author) and a new friend met at a hills workshop.
- What
- A reflective essay on what it means to be considerate, sparked by a small gift of cake.
- Where
- The hills (workshop location); Mumbai, where the author's home leaked during heavy rains.
- When
- About a month before the article was written, during a workshop in the hills.
- Why
- To explore why considerate acts matter and how people can become more attuned to others' needs.
Key facts
- Author
- Unnamed therapist writing a first-person essay
- Central concept
- Consideration: kindness plus awareness of others' thoughts and feelings
- Setting
- Solo trip to the hills for a workshop, about a month prior
- Weather
- Torrential rains in Mumbai; the author's home developed a leak
- Related concepts
- Kindness, compassion, empathy, social attunement
- Therapist's observation
- Lack of consideration, not kindness, is what clients report as hurtful
- Example gesture
- A friend slipping a wrapped slice of cake into the author's bag
Sources
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