MaryJehanne

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    Film Studies, Writing, Reading, Art, Philosophy, Theology, Psychology
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  1. At least from a Catholic perspective, we would say Christ was being kind there! It is very kind to correct people, and lead them away from sin (which is what was happening there). He was also trying to keep the respect due to His Temple, but even in that dimension, He wasn't hateful to those people, and He knew it was an act that would serve to instruct people in the present and future. Kindness involves love, and sometimes you have to put on a stern face. Kind of like a parent who puts on a mean face to scold a slightly naughty 2-year-old. I just read about an abbot (or someone along those lines), who faked anger to correct one of the brothers. Once the brother left, he was perfectly at peace again, and asked if he'd seemed to be convincing. When someone is cruel, not just rough or authoritative, it's seated in a sense of hatred (lack of love).
  2. And that's part of the value of being kind, too! It's more valuable to God when we love for His sake when people make it difficult. If it was easy, and people were always loving to us, we would never really be tried. It is true that no one is really innocent! But people may be innocent in some situations, at least (just misunderstood, or maybe the other person was looking for something to snap at). There is a Catholic psychologist who wrote on something similar... the idea of us finding offense where it doesn't exist! But I think, when the offense really does exist, it makes sense that we feel bad. No matter what we've done wrong in our lives, we're creatures of God. He loves us and has told us to love others, so anything short of that is unjust, no matter how much a person seems to deserve it.
  3. That's another thing that's difficult. 😕 At least the most important thing is your intentions! As long as you're trying to be kind, that's what matters to God.
  4. That is true. Some people have a much higher tolerance for things than others! Very true. I guess it's part of being human. No one wants to feel like they're unloved by someone, which is the message being mean/rude/cruel sends... One of the important things I'm trying to remember is that, as much as it feels bad that a person doesn't like me, the only love I should care about having is God's. And His will never go away. 😌 Yes! That's something I have to work on.
  5. 😄 That's a good approach! That's all we can do, isn't it? Pray, and keep moving forward!
  6. That is true. Although, if someone's putting the effort in to be nice, even if they fail at it interiorly, it at least makes me feel like they care on some level. I wish I could be as objective in thinking about it as you! 😣 That's another thing that's very true. Sometimes people just have bad days! It still hurts in the moment. 😞 But I guess that's to be expected!
  7. Thank you, Jane_Doe! :) I think that's another struggle I have... ending a conversation. Even if it's completely unfruitful, I keep replying, because I don't want to be rude to them. It's good to hear someone else say they feel the same! I think, especially on the internet, you can feel so alone, which adds to it. When arguments happen in person, people tend to be less rude, because they can see you. And, you have a sense of community and support, because usually there are people you can see around you.
  8. Hey, everyone! (I'm hoping this will be more of a candid, lighthearted thread!) What does kindness mean to you? What do you do when someone's aggressive or rude to you? I have a lot of trouble when people are offensive, which is something I've been trying to work on. When someone's rude, mean, or dismissive, I tend to take it to heart, deeply. Especially lately, I'm now trying to take a deep breath, let things go, and not let it effect how I feel about myself... which can be hard. Especially in the world of the web, most notably things like YouTube comments, I'm continually shocked by how uncaring and harsh people can be. And this isn't to bash people, of course. All of us have had moments where it's hard not to say something biting. I was wondering how you all deal with unkind or difficult people, and how you manage it online?
  9. Hi, Alia! It's great to meet you.
  10. Thank you, Jane_Doe. It really means a lot. I think sometimes it's harder over the computer, too. You can't get tonal cues from written words.