Are humans created for goodness? Can we harness the power of being kind?
In their book, Made For Goodness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter write about the power of kindness.
“With all the hardship in the world, it can sometimes be easy to look around and wonder if there’s any goodness.”
That’s why Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu, say they wrote their new book focusing on the theme that joy and goodness can be found anywhere, if we would only look for it.
“Each kindness enhances the quality of life,” they write. “Each cruelty diminishes it.” Tutu writes that his daughter and he came together to write the book because they believe as a species we are made for goodness.
They ask, “Why else do we get so outraged by wrong? When we hear of any egregious act, we are appalled. If wrong was the norm, it wouldn’t be news. Our newscasts wouldn’t lead with the latest acts of murder or mayhem, because they would be ordinary. But murder and mayhem are not the norm. The norm is goodness.”
They further write, “…you can see from the people we truly admire that we are attracted to goodness. We do not revere people who are successful. We might envy them and wish that their money were transferred to our bank account. But the people we revere are not necessarily successful; they are something else. They are good.”
Some Questions for Consideration:
- Who in your life do you admire for their goodness?
- What qualities stand out for you?
- What have they taught you about life and your life in particular?
Steve Goldberg is the co-author of Finding the Upside: Practical Wisdom for Challenging Times. You can read more about and purchase the book at: www.findingtheupside.org
Photo Credit
“Made for Goodness by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu”
Recent Steve Goldberg Articles:
- De-cluttering Matters
- In Giving I Connect with Others
- A Broken Shoelace and Lesson in Optimism
- How to Really Be Present For Someone
- When Net Worth Becomes Self Worth
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